Controlling the country, the music and the dinner menu: an up-close view of Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
The incoming president was feted by some of the biggest names in the world at Mar-a-Lago, with an Australian billionaire suddenly back in favour, and a little-known 29-year-old from Perth also among the sea of corporate titans and political operatives.
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President-elect Donald Trump is sitting on the patio of his Mar-a-Lago private club fiddling with his iPad.
Flanked by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, and the boss of the biggest company on Earth, Apple’s Tim Cook, Mr Trump is changing the music played over the loudspeakers as billionaires, corporate titans and political operatives dine at tables dotted around the group.
Perhaps the world’s most famous person at the moment, Mr Trump chooses YMCA by the Village People – the party anthem now famous for his “Trump Dance” – followed by a recording of the US pledge of allegiance (which draws cheers), then some Pavarotti and Space Oddity by David Bowie.
Whether the latter is a tribute to the rocket-launching Mr Musk is open to debate, but what is not in doubt is Mar-a-Lago is just about the most important place in the world in the lead-up to Mr Trump’s inauguration on January 20 in Washington.
It was a weekend of the richest billionaires in the universe, big business names, the most influential political movers and shakers in the country, and an Australian billionaire suddenly now well and truly back in favour.
And they’ve all come to an upscale town in coastal Florida to pay homage and seek favour from Mr Trump – on his home turf and on his terms.
From my vantage point on the Mar-a-Lago patio in Palm Beach I see an incoming president feted by some of the biggest names in the US and the world.
And I come across a little-known 29-year-old blue-eyed boy from Perth who is at the heart of the Trump political machine.
Phillip Hancock, one of Mr Trump’s so-called “advancers” – who is so close to the president-to-be he was on stage picking up one of Mr Trump’s shoes after he was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July – was a guest on Saturday evening at Mar-a-Lago at a function hosted by Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt.
The one-time film producer and University of Western Australia graduate might just be the most well-connected Aussie in America, with a first-hand view of Mr Trump’s big political comeback, and will likely play a key behind-the-scenes role in the new administration.
He was even integral to Mr Trump’s famous turn serving fries at a McDonald’s drive-through window in Pennsylvania during the US election campaign in October. Mr Hancock, who was not talking to The Australian when approached on Saturday night, helped set up the famous publicity stunt with a week’s worth of work beforehand.
He is understood to be one of five of Mr Trump’s advancers who oversee about 280 staff who now help the incoming president’s public appearances run as smoothly as possible.
But first, the billionaires, political operatives, dover sole, Mary Trump’s famous meat loaf and the incoming president’s favourite ice cream sundae dessert.
On a sultry, occasionally rainy and windy Florida winter’s evening on Friday night, Mr Trump is soaking up the applause as he is spotted walking out on to the Mar-a-Lago patio from the adjacent bar, where a portrait of him, entitled “The Visionary”, hangs, to a standing round of applause from other diners.
He is seated with Mr Cook, who had flown in from California, at a table with a red velvet rope around it, in the middle of the patio that also includes the president-elect’s long-time influential policy adviser, Stephen Miller, and American political consultant Taylor Budowich.
They are later joined by Mr Musk, who walks in wearing a black leather flight jacket with a fur-lined collar over a black T-shirt (club rules insist gentlemen wear jackets at dinner time). The Tesla billionaire also receives a smattering of applause from nearby diners, and waves to the crowd before taking his seat.
Nearby are various Republican and Trump political operatives, including Mehmet Oz, better known as television personality Dr Oz, Fox News host Bret Baier and billionaire Blackstone chairman Stephen Schwarzman – estimated net worth: $US55bn ($86.6bn).
They and the club members, including other billionaires, Florida identities and cash-up locals, are dining on a menu featuring dover sole, steak, shrimp, octopus, Mary Trump’s famous meat loaf recipe (the incoming president’s mother’s recipe is a particular favourite), and a dessert menu featuring another favourite in the ice cream sundae that comes with m&m’s and chocolate, strawberry and caramel sauces.
The deep discussions at the main table go long into the evening, and occasional visitors stop in to say hello to Mr Trump. It has an air of informality but security is tight and it is clear who the boss is.
Eventually the music fades and the patio closes for the evening.
The next morning, as bright sunshine interrupts some rain showers, Mr Trump is leaving the club to fly to the Navy-Army American college football game in Maryland (Mr Musk also attends) when he spots Mr Pratt having brunch on the Mar-a-Lago patio.
Mr Trump walks straight to his table and has a friendly chat with the Australian billionaire – who donated $US10m ($15m) to the Trump election campaign – for about 10 minutes.
The incoming president is overheard complimenting Mr Pratt on his appearance and tells him he “looks trim”.
For Mr Pratt, memories of being called a “red-headed weirdo” by Mr Trump are rapidly fading.
It is business as usual again in America, and at Mar-a-Lago.
This is the place to which the likes of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Nigel Farage, Gina Rinehart, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Sylvester Stallone, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and dozens of others have flocked since Mr Trump’s stunning election win on November 5.
Members such as Mr Pratt and Mrs Rinehart pay $US1m for the more regular access membership brings. Secret Service agents line walls, there are several “Strictly no photos” signs, cars are checked for bombs and weapons, and a robotic dog patrols the club perimeter.
On Saturday night, about 700 Pratt Industries customers descend on Mar-a-Lago for Mr Pratt’s cardboard box manufacturing and recycling giant.
“I’ve been doing this since 2017 – having parties here that whole time, even when President Trump wasn’t president,” Mr Pratt tells The Australian.
“So I’m very proud to say I’ve been a big customer since then and the simple reason is because our customers love it here.
“This year a lot of the 700 fruit and vegetable customers we’re hosting are buying their boxes from our newly opened box factory in Macon, Georgia.
“That’s why we have the former governor of Georgia and former USDA secretary in President Trump’s first term, Sonny Perdue, as our special guest. I’ve known Sonny for more than 20 years.”
Actor George Hamilton attends, so does soon-to-be US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and Mr Pratt’s billionaire sister, Heloise Pratt, and her partner, former rocker Jon Stevens.
And there, chatting to Mr Pratt and other guests, is the little-known Mr Hancock.
Soon to play a big part in the inauguration, Mr Hancock graduated from university in Perth in about 2015 and decamped to Los Angeles to work in the film industry.
He spent about four years there and was later a producer on the 2020 movie, The Plot against The President, said to be one of the most popular on the Amazon Prime streaming service.
It was through that project that Mr Hancock met members of the Trump inner sanctum, and over the past couple of years he has become an integral member of it. He is set to move to Washington and continue some sort of advancer role under the new president.
Mr Hancock is also understood to have won the green card lottery in recent years, and become an American citizen.
It is quite a meteoric rise for a little-known 20-something from Perth.
Almost as impressive as Mr Trump’s political comeback.
The author travelled with Pratt Industries.
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Originally published as Controlling the country, the music and the dinner menu: an up-close view of Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
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