A live portrait of Jesus Christ, painted onstage during a New Year’s Eve worship service at Mar-a-Lago, commanded $2.75 million in a spirited auction led by President Donald Trump, with proceeds channeling funds to pediatric cancer care and local law enforcement. The event unfolded on December 31, 2025, amid festive celebrations at the Palm Beach estate, where artist Vanessa Horabuena captivated guests with her speed-painting technique over the course of more than an hour of worship music. Trump, stepping into the role of auctioneer, ignited bidding at $100,000 and drove it upward through enthusiastic crowd engagement, ultimately securing the high price for charitable causes, with the unidentified male winner joining him onstage to seal the deal.
Vanessa Horabuena, a Christian worship artist known for blending faith and creativity in live performances, created the piece as part of a session that held the audience’s attention without interruption. Her work, often described as ministry through art, features ethereal depictions with glowing elements and symbolic details, drawing from her personal journey of rediscovering purpose after years away from drawing. At Mar-a-Lago, she produced what some accounts describe as two complementary portraits of Jesus, evoking reverence among attendees, including First Lady Melania Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This performance built on her prior appearance at the venue the night before, where similar art inspired the crowd and prompted Trump’s invitation for a repeat. For more on her artistic mission, visit her official website.
Trump conducted the auction with his signature charisma, starting the bids at $100,000 while praising the artwork’s value and the causes it would support. He engaged the crowd by calling out increments, acknowledging specific bidders, such as “Anthony” and “John,” and adding playful commentary to build excitement. As bids escalated from $1 million to $2 million and beyond, Trump urged higher offers, noting one bidder’s ample resources with a quip.
“If you’ll give more, okay?”
he asked at one point, checking for competitors.
“You see what happens here, John? How about that for entertainment?”
he remarked, highlighting the lively atmosphere. The auction climaxed at $2.75 million, with Trump declaring,
“Going once… going twice…”
before finalizing the sale. He emphasized the charitable split, stating,
“It’s going to St. Jude’s. It’s going to the sheriff’s office. We have two million seven fifty.”
The winning bidder, an unnamed male guest described by Trump as having “plenty of cash,” was invited onstage amid applause, though his identity remains undisclosed in public reports.
The auction’s proceeds split evenly between St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which has aided over 400,000 children through innovative treatments, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, supporting community safety initiatives. Trump highlighted the dual beneficiaries during the bidding, framing the event as a blend of spirituality and giving that aligned with the holiday’s reflective spirit. Video footage of the three-minute auction, available on the original X post by Collin Rugg, captures Trump’s dynamic style, from hyping the artwork’s value to playfully urging higher offers, culminating in applause as the winner joined him onstage. Such moments underscore how high-profile gatherings at Mar-a-Lago often merge entertainment with philanthropy, turning personal expressions of faith into broader acts of support.
This convergence of religion, politics, and charity at a presidential venue invites reflection on evolving public expressions of belief in American leadership. While supporters praised the infusion of Christian elements into national discourse, noting it as a return to values-centered events, some observers raised theological questions about depicting sacred figures, referencing biblical cautions against images. Yet the auction’s success, raising substantial funds amid economic discussions, demonstrates how such spectacles can mobilize resources effectively, potentially setting a model for future intersections of influence and goodwill. In a polarized landscape, these occasions reveal the enduring appeal of combining spectacle with substance, fostering unity through shared causes even as they spark debate.
