Champagne, sequins, SNAP cuts: A real-life Gatsby party
President Donald Trump hosted a “Great Gatsby” themed party for Halloween, complete with tuxedos, flapper dresses, jazz covers and cocktails that evoked the opulence of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Roaring Twenties. Glittering lights, champagne towers and carefully curated period decor created an atmosphere of celebration and indulgence. According to the Associated Press, the official theme of “A little party never killed nobody,” which is a reference to a song from the 2013 film adaptation.
Dancers at Trump’s Halloween party as people begin losing food stamps under his administration pic.twitter.com/LWknoEktw6
— PatriotTakes ???????? (@patriottakes) November 1, 2025
The timing added an unintended layer of irony. The party took place the night before many SNAP recipients experienced lapses in benefits, the federal program relied upon by millions of Americans to buy groceries. Images of gleaming tables and dancing guests circulated widely, a striking contrast to the very real struggles some Americans faced the following day.
Observers noted echoes of Fitzgerald’s novel in the scene: a world obsessed with appearances, where glitter and spectacle mask the emptiness beneath. The Gatsby motif — a glittering party meant to dazzle, distract and impress — played out in real life as guests toasted while federal benefits quietly lapsed.
The juxtaposition has not gone unnoticed on social media, with critics highlighting the stark gap between the lavish celebration and daily necessity. While partygoers enjoyed the visual feast, the circumstances around them — empty shelves, reduced benefits and families navigating hunger — added a layer of unintended resonance with the novel’s cautionary tale about excess, illusion and disconnection.
In the end, the party offered all the glamour of a literary fantasy, but the timing reminded observers that reality has its own narrative. And much like in the Gatsby world, in a world built for spectacle, real consequences remain inescapable.
Read more
about this topic
The post Champagne, sequins, SNAP cuts: A real-life Gatsby party appeared first on Salon.com.