Yuri Gripas/Reuters
President Trump’s inaugural committee spent about $100 million in 72 days, with money going towards everything from professional makeup services to hotel rooms that were never used. Citing sources and documents that have not previously been made public, The New York Times reports that $10,000—or $500-per-person—was spent to provide 20 staffers with makeup before an inaugural “candlelight” dinner. At the same dinner, which took place at D.C.’s Union Station, $924,000 was reportedly spent on decor and $91-per-guest was spent on custom name placards and menus—including an on-site calligrapher to fix last-minute mistakes. Dozens of contract staff members also reportedly got $30,000 in per diem payments for hotel rooms, food, taxis, and plane tickets.
A significant amount of the money raised also went to waste, with $6.4 million worth of hotel rooms reportedly not used after guests arranged their own accommodations, according to the Times. WIS Media Partners, led by First Lady Melania Trump’s friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, also reportedly got nearly $26 million to act as a “general contractor” and to produce a “documentary project” on the inauguration. The project was reportedly later abandoned, though interview footage with inauguration officials still exists.