Everyone vying for a position in the new Trump administration is rushing to visit the president-elect at his residence and private club Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Those without an invitation have filled the nearby hotels and hope to have the chance to get close to the future White House leader.
Donald Trump's Florida stronghold has once again become the Winter White House, where, behind the opulent closed doors, the president-elect is shaping the new American administration.
Joe Biden will remain in office until January, but this part of Florida has become a rival center of political power in America.
Just two years after the FBI conducted a search here and found secret documents on American nuclear weapons and spy satellites in a bathroom, an eclectic mix of people from the inside gather near Mar-a-Lago, where robot dogs patrol and boats with armed guards swarm, reports BBC.
The Power Struggle Unfolds in Florida
The "pilgrimage" of those hunting for positions in the new Trump administration is in full swing.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, rumored to be appointed as Secretary of Energy, was there on election night. So was former Chief of the Department of Defense, Kash Patel.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has access at the highest level, having been invited by Trump to Mar-a-Lago several times to have family dinners and hold discussions with world leaders.
The owner of Tesla and SpaceX commutes by plane to be with the president-elect, being photographed together with his son, at Trump's private club and on the Palm Beach airport runway.
Those not blessed with an invitation to Mar-a-Lago have filled the hotels and restaurants near West Palm Beach and are fighting for influence, hoping to secure a position in the new administration.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a descendant of one of the most famous political dynasties in the U.S. and a vocal anti-vaxxer, was seen near the elegant pool bar at The Ben hotel, where guests are greeted by an artificial ice rink and a Christmas tree, and where immense golden sculptures of dogs reign in the lobby on each floor.
Kennedy Jr is part of the transition team and is fighting for an influential role in health policy.
Also, at The Ben hotel, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican congressman from Georgia who recently accused the Biden administration of intentionally causing flooding in Republican areas of North Carolina, was seen. It seems she is trying to secure a position in the presidential cabinet.
Meanwhile, at The Breakers, an opulent hotel in Italian Renaissance style located on the oceanfront, young valets were most impressed by the visit of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White, who joined his friend Trump on stage on election night but claims to have no political aspirations.
If he doesn't, the same cannot be said about others. A member of the Republican Party whom a BBC reporter met in the hallway said that the fight for the transition team was "open to all," and different party groups fought to assert dominance. "Trump loves to see people fight and be submissive," the source said.
A Wave of People from Florida Will Flood Washington
In view of his new term, Donald Trump seems to be less focused on elected officials to fill key positions in the administration.
His son, Don Jr, said in an interview for Fox News that he wants people who "don't think they know better" than his father and is ready to block anyone he deems a disastrous appointment.
Trump claims he will act differently this time, as his biggest mistake during his first term was appointing "bad people or disloyal people."
This time, Trump seems to prioritize loyalty, remembering who has been by his side from day one.
The transition process is an unconventional one, but so far it is playing out more behind the scenes than in 2016.
Trump's first appointment was political consultant Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, a hint that a well-built conservative political operation in Florida could repeat success at the White House.
Slater Bayliss, co-founder of a lobbying firm in Florida, Advocacy Partners, has worked both for and against Susie Wiles in the state's electoral battles and prefers to be on her side. According to him, there are offers from political talents across this conservative American stronghold.
Republican political consultant Max Goodman expects a wave of new people from Florida to flood Washington. Trump's people will be hired into Susie Wiles' team and state institutions.
"There is no hotter political nursery system in the country than the state of Florida, when you have a president and the most prolific political consultant turned chief of staff coming from Florida," Goodman said.
For now, Trump has announced his second appointment - the return of Tom Homan as head of the agency responsible for border and immigration control (ICE).
"The Most Sacred Building" in the American Political Universe
If in the '80s, when Trump bought the property in Florida, Palm Beach did not roll out the red carpet for him, now this area in Florida has become the "MAGA homeland" and a power hub rivaling the White House.
Next week, the President of Argentina, Javier Milei, is expected to visit Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump and Elon Musk.
And next week, CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) will host the annual investors summit at Mar-a-Lago, an event where tickets cost up to $25,000.
Slater Bayliss, a lobbyist from Florida, believes that Trump will want to spend as much time in Florida during his second term as president. In a way, this will make the 62,500-square-foot residence at Mar-a-Lago "the most sacred building in the political universe," he said.
T.D.