Photos snapped during an unusually bizarre moment at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago have triggered an online frenzy, with viewers less focused on the event and more fixated on unsettling background details that don’t seem to make sense. The president’s members-only club in Palm Beach, Florida, i s currently under scrutiny, according to two recent lawsuits from former employees. But that hasn’t stopped people from booking the venue for events, including a recent 18th-century party, equipped with dancers, masks, and canines. PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 24: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a Christmas Eve Dinner At Mar-a-Lago on December 24, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the holidays in Florida this year. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) ‘This Is Insane’: Trump Didn’t Think This Would Get Out — After Reports Reveal Drunk Employees Were Found at His Golf Club On Jan. 9, Mar-a-Lago hosted the American Humane Society’s 15th Annual Hero Dog Awards Gala. The black-tie gathering of pooch lovers instantly became a target of internet trolls as images of the night’s entertainment hit social media. Screenshots from a video of the Marie Antoinette-styled, Lassie-influenced performers ignited a wave of jokes, with one of Trump’s most vocal adversaries taking a direct swipe at the Republican politician.  The social media team behind California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 58, jumped on the chance to make fun of Trump and his supporters’ eccentric performances. Newsom’s press office account on X was quick to mockingly question if the president had embraced a subculture that centers around humans displaying animal characteristics for enjoyment. “Why is Donald Trump hosting a FURRY PARTY???” read the tweet, in response to four images of the Hero Dog Awards Gala dancers appearing as a dalmatian, a bulldog, and other breeds with masks included. Why is Donald Trump hosting a FURRY PARTY??? https://t.co/c1Rnzi0dFh— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 15, 2026 One reply suggested, “Because he is a weird guy.” A second commenter expressed, “That’s a very strange and unusual event” about Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private nightspot, which reportedly is available for rental. Elsewhere on X, a third person wondered, “Ewww, why are they wearing dog heads? Is this some kind of weird fetish they have?” Someone else asked, “This is the group plastic surgery night so they need to hide until it heals?” During the 2024 presidential race, Trump, 79, pushed an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in America were eating their neighbors’ pets. That viral fake news from the Trump campaign got rebooted as a diss when one person on X sarcastically exclaimed, “They’re eating the Dogs!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Uma Explores (@usa_life_with_uma) One jokester leaned into the Marie Antoinette aesthetic of the party by paraphrasing the famous “let them eat cake” quote attributed to the eventually beheaded queen of France from 1774 to 1792, writing, “Let them eat dog treats.” According to Roll Call, Trump traveled from Washington, DC to Palm Beach International Airport and arrived at Mar-a-Lago around 8:53 pm on the date of the Hero Dog Awards. Social media posts suggest that Trump was present at the event and gave a brief speech, which means he would have landed after arriving from Washington, D.C. His larger-than-life frame was seen holding a microphone while wearing his signature blue suit and a mini pin of himself on his left shoulder. “So why is Trump wearing a pig mask? #QuietPiggy,” said one person, mocking his mug. For those asking: Yes, Trump was present and spoke at the event. pic.twitter.com/3pZ9LXKCL7— PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) January 15, 2026 However, Trump did hold a “Great Gatsby”-themed Halloween party at Mar‑a‑Lago in October 2025. Critics called the fancy affair tone-deaf because it took place while the federal government was shut down and amid growing concern over rising costs heading into the holiday season. At the time, there was also widespread concern that millions of Americans could lose access to affordable health care. Gov. Newsom lambasted Trump for prioritizing throwing a lavish bash based on a book about greed and excess instead of the needs of the working class. One of the current frontrunners for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination regularly slams Trump as an out-of-touch elitist by depicting the billionaire businessman as Marie Antoinette in edited pictures. In addition, he called out Trump for building a multi-million-dollar White House ballroom. TRUMP “MARIE ANTOINETTE” SAYS, “NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!” pic.twitter.com/u8o6dSsIhW— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) October 1, 2025 The Newsom Press Office shared an Antoinette-Trump fusion pic with a caption that read, “TRUMP ‘MARIE ANTOINETTE’ SAYS, ‘NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!’” Once Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025, Newsom became a thorn in the president’s side by imitating the former “The Apprentice” star’s method of purposely mocking his political opponents.  The “This is Gavin Newsom” podcaster stole the all-cap messaging and meme-focused jabs from the Trump playbook that helped the native New Yorker win the 2016 and 2024 elections. Newsom’s latest “furry” put-down joins a long list of taunts that have triggered Trump’s MAGA base. ‘WTH …Why Is Donald Trump Hosting a FURRY PARTY’: Trump’s Big Mar-a-Lago Speech Derails After Viewers Scramble to Understand the Women Dancing in Dog Masks ...read more read less