Sylvester Stallone will be among more than 800 people attending President-elect Donald Trump's New Year's Eve party, Trump's transition team said Friday in a conference call with reporters.
Trump has held an annual bash at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, for years, in the past drawing big names like Vanessa Williams, Regis Philbin, Martha Stewart and Rod Stewart.
While some on social media have criticized the event, saying it could be construed as paying for access to Trump, Hope Hicks, incoming White House director of strategic communications, dismissed that idea.
"The transition is not concerned about the appearance of a conflict," 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."
Stallone's attendance is intriguing. The Los Angeles Times had reported earlier this month that Trump could be interested in appointing Stallone to a position with the National Endowment for the Arts. Stallone later told Buzzfeed he would prefer to be involved in veterans issues.
The Trumps will kick off the night at 7:30 with cocktails on Mar-a-Lago's patio, then move inside for dinner at 8:30 p.m. and dancing until 1 a.m. The event is “sold out,” said Sean Spicer, incoming White House press secretary.
Jose Graterol Designs of Miami is handling decorations for the event. Steve Levine, the company's business manager, said the decorations will have crystal and gold accessories with white and green flowers. There will be custom-designed hanging floral garlands over the dance floor, he added.
“We're excited, we're honored. We've done it for the past two years, so this year feels a little different with (Trump's) new position,” Levine said. “It will be elegant and sophisticated, unique. We never repeat a party, so it's always different.”
The band Party on the Moon will provide music for the event, Trump's team said. According to Party on the Moon's website, the band has performed at the Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party for the past five years.
The event will cap Trump's two-week visit to Mar-a-Lago. Though he took a handful of days around Christmas to spend time with his family, Trump's schedule largely has been packed with meetings to interview candidates for four still-vacant Cabinet seats, plus sit-downs with advisers and groups to provide input on key issues.
Trump spent much of Thursday at Mar-a-Lago working on his speech for his Jan. 20 inauguration. He is set to return to Trump Tower in New York City on New Year's Day.
A Trump spokesman initially said Friday that music executive Quincy Jones would be attending. Later, Arnold Robinson, Jones's spokesman, said he would not be at the New Year's Eve party.
About the Author
