Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, has been spotted at Donald Trump's Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in a bizarre display of allegiance to the former US president. The mining billionaire, known for her outspoken views on politics, was seen having a close conversation with Trump as he read from a piece of paper.
The party, which had a 1920s Great Gatsby theme, also drew in other notable figures including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Although Hanson's office confirmed she is absent from the Australian parliament this week due to her trip to the US, they declined to confirm whether she attended Trump's party.
The timing of the event was striking, coinciding with a federal government shutdown in the US. Trump has been using the shutdown to push for funding cuts and has taken to social media to criticize Democrats, saying he doesn't want Americans to go hungry during the impasse. His proposal to build a $300m ballroom in the White House, privately funded by wealthy donors, has drawn comparisons to Marie Antoinette.
Rinehart has been a vocal supporter of Trump's policies in Australia, encouraging the Liberal party to adopt his style of governance after the Coalition's election loss in May. In a statement to the Daily Mail at the time, she claimed that the left media had successfully driven away Liberals from Trump-like policies and argued that cutting government bureaucracy and wastage would be beneficial for Australia.
Rinehart's attendance at Trump's party has raised eyebrows among some observers, who see it as a troubling sign of her allegiance to the former president. The image of Rinehart speaking closely with Trump while he read from a paper was shared on social media by Jeanine Pirro, the former US attorney for the District of Columbia.
The party, which had a 1920s Great Gatsby theme, also drew in other notable figures including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Although Hanson's office confirmed she is absent from the Australian parliament this week due to her trip to the US, they declined to confirm whether she attended Trump's party.
The timing of the event was striking, coinciding with a federal government shutdown in the US. Trump has been using the shutdown to push for funding cuts and has taken to social media to criticize Democrats, saying he doesn't want Americans to go hungry during the impasse. His proposal to build a $300m ballroom in the White House, privately funded by wealthy donors, has drawn comparisons to Marie Antoinette.
Rinehart has been a vocal supporter of Trump's policies in Australia, encouraging the Liberal party to adopt his style of governance after the Coalition's election loss in May. In a statement to the Daily Mail at the time, she claimed that the left media had successfully driven away Liberals from Trump-like policies and argued that cutting government bureaucracy and wastage would be beneficial for Australia.
Rinehart's attendance at Trump's party has raised eyebrows among some observers, who see it as a troubling sign of her allegiance to the former president. The image of Rinehart speaking closely with Trump while he read from a paper was shared on social media by Jeanine Pirro, the former US attorney for the District of Columbia.
. I mean, we know she's been a vocal supporter of his policies in Australia, but this is just taking it too far. I get that people have different opinions, but when you're rubbing shoulders with someone who's literally trying to starve people to make a point, it raises some serious red flags 
. And what's up with her having a close convo with Trump while he's reading from a piece of paper? Is that like some kinda secret handshake or something? 
either way, it just seems like she's more invested in this whole thing than I'd be comfortable with 
.
her and trump having a convo looks super suspicious to me 
i mean she's already been a big supporter of his views in australia but this party? it's like she's trying to be extra or something 
what was the paper he was reading from tho? some kinda secret plan? 
it's like, you're Australia's richest person and a known outspoken politicker but now you're sipping tea with the ex-US prez? 
... meanwhile Trump's got his hands full trying to pass a budget and Rinehart's just having fun 
... but maybe next time can we get some Aussie representation? 
. Anyway, it's not the first time she's been seen with Trump, and if she keeps throwing her weight behind him, people are going to start calling her out for being a sycophant 
. It's just so... convenient. Like she's trying to signal her allegiance or something. And the fact that it coincides with a federal government shutdown in the US is just cherry on top 
. It's all very suspicious. I mean, I get that she's got strong opinions and wants to support Trump's policies, but this feels like taking it way too far 
. What's next? Is she going to start hosting her own mini-parties at her estate with Trump as the guest of honor