Trump throws lavish Halloween party days before midterms as approval ratings hit record low

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Donald Trump hosts a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday (local time). [AP]

Donald Trump is drawing criticism for throwing a lavish Halloween party just days before Tuesday's (local time) midterm elections, in which Republicans are widely expected to struggle.

According to The New York Times, Trump hosted the party Saturday night at the ballroom of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The event carried a jungle theme, with hundreds of guests arriving in elaborate costumes — feathered outfits evoking tropical birds and glittering ensembles among them. The ballroom walls and tables were decorated in cheetah and zebra prints. Some attendees posted photos to social media of zebras and ponies kept in enclosures inside the club.

Trump appeared in his customary navy suit and red tie, quipping, "I came as Donald Trump" and adding, "The rich people spent nine hours getting ready — I had 10 minutes." Trump referred to the guests as "rich friends" and "the best people on Wall Street." Speaking to reporters at the event, Trump said he felt "very good" and that "we're doing very well. This country has never done better than it's doing right now."

Guests in elaborate costumes attend a Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday (local time). [AFP]

Despite the urgency of campaigning in the final stretch before the midterms, several Trump loyalists attended the party — among them House Speaker Mike Johnson and Sergio Gor, who moved from director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office to ambassador to India.

The New York Times said Trump appeared in high spirits entertaining guests even as approval ratings hit historic lows and the ruling party braced for defeat in the midterms.

A New York Times/Siena College poll found that a majority of voters blamed Trump for the deteriorating economy. In the survey, 69 percent of respondents gave negative marks to Trump's handling of inflation, 65 percent disapproved of the war with Iran, and about 75 percent expressed dissatisfaction over high fuel prices.

Trump spent the past month traveling the country to campaign for Republican candidates, but many of those he stumped for failed to gain ground in the polls — suggesting his endorsements have had little effect in practice.

Before the party, Trump spent most of the day at a golf course in West Palm Beach. Trump had also initially sought to cancel his final campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa. After reporters at the White House learned of the cancellations and asked whether fatigue from age was behind the decision — a question from Reuters that visibly angered Trump — Trump reversed course and resumed the campaign schedule.

kate01@heraldcorp.com