For Easter, President Trump and First Lady Retreated to Mar-a-Lago Where Mueller Was 'Weighing Heavily'
Easter morning shone down sunny and blue over the Mar-a-Lago Club, a favorite retreat where President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump headed for the holiday weekend amid continued fallout from Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
In the latest example of what some observers have called a “split-screen presidency,” Trump was surrounded by beaming supporters and relatives while in Palm Beach, Florida. Nonetheless, he repeatedly vented on Twitter about Mueller’s probe and subsequent report.
According to Mueller’s report, released on Thursday, the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump win — but neither he nor his team conspired in that effort.
Mueller’s report, however, did show that the president repeatedly tried to end the Russia investigation and influence its outcome, which critics say proves he illegally obstructed justice. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 candidate for president, called on Congress to impeach him.
“Happy Easter everybody. Have a great day,” Trump told reporters at one point Sunday. “A lot of great things are happening for our country,” he said.
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He was less magnanimous on Twitter. “Can you believe that I had to go through the worst and most corrupt political Witch Hunt in the history of the United States,” he wondered rhetorically, punctuating the message with “Disgraceful!”
This was not unexpected: While in Florida, the president was only resuming what has been a nearly two-year-long offensive over Russia, blasting Mueller, the news media and other critics about what he believes is a politically motivated “witch hunt” designed to delegitimize his surprise victory in 2016.
In another tweet on Sunday, he bemoaned: “Despite No Collusion, No Obstruction, The Radical Left Democrats do not want to go on to Legislate for the good of the people, but only to Investigate and waste time. This is costing our Country greatly, and will cost the Dems big time in 2020!”
But in person, he and his family were in far better spirits.
About 11 a.m. Sunday, the president left Mar-a-Lago for Easter services at nearby Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church. He and the first lady were accompanied by daughter Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend, Michael Boulos.
At 12:30 p.m., Mrs. Trump and the president returned to Mar-a-Lago to greet various club members and a wide array of guests for a few minutes before returning to their private quarters for an hour or so, according to a club source.
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“President Trump always comes into the club to schmooze with members and guests who are there for the annual Easter brunch and Easter egg hunt,” the source tells PEOPLE of this tradition, which pre-dates his presidency.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s oldest son, along with Don Jr.’s children and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle; his brother, Eric Trump; and Eric’s family left the club’s Easter egg hunt about 1:30 p.m. and took their seats at the family table for brunch.
They were joined at 2 p.m. by the president and first lady, along with the president’s youngest son, Barron — some 20 people in all. (Eldest daughter Ivanka Trump was not in Palm Beach and appears to have been on vacation with her own kids.)
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At brunch, Mrs. Trump and Tiffany sat on either side of the president, who “loves to be at Mar-a-Lago with his family,” says another club source.
According to this source, the president said at one point he had “never been happier” given the state of the country. But he was still “seen smiling at times and angry at other times.”
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The night before Easter, Trump spoke to friends at the club before heading to his quarters to watch television — and continue tweeting.
The source says: “There was no question that the contents of the Mueller report released last week, and the subsequent news and TV air time devoted to it were weighing heavily on his mind, distracting him at times.”
