Wanna party with the president-elect tonight? Well, too bad, tickets for Donald Trump‘s swank event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida are sold out, according to incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Also, you would’ve needed $575 a ticket ($525 if you’re a member), money that goes directly to the resort itself—which Trump owns.
Addressing the concerns that the event is a conflict of interest for Trump, incoming White House Director of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks told Politico, “This is an annual celebratory event at the private club, like others that have continued to occur since the election. Additionally, the president cannot and does not have a conflict.”
Critics disagree, however, seeing it not as a party with Trump the celebrity like in years’ past, but with Trump the president-elect, who is using his presidential status to earn up to $460,000 in ticket sales alone.
Concerns of Trump’s business interests conflicting with his presidency have been well-reported, with Trump saying he plans to hand over the management of his businesses to his children, instead of using a blind trust like many of his predecessors.
As for the party this evening, Spicer said more than 800 guests are expected, including Sylvester Stallone and Quincy Jones. However, Jones’s spokesman said the music producer would not be attending and “didn’t know where Trump’s team got the information,” according to Variety.
