By: Lieba Nesis
A record-breaking influx of politicians are heading to the Hamptons this summer, creating unwanted traffic snarls, and sold-out hotel rooms. Get ready for Friday August 9th when President Trump heads to the home of Joe Farrell in Bridgehampton closing down streets and creating out-of-control air traffic as he flies into Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. When the president takes to the sky a “Temporary Flight Restriction” goes into effect for hours as was the case when he headed to a luncheon last year at the 11,560-square-foot Southampton home of longtime supporter Howard Lorber.
Last year’s 70-person crowd raised a whopping $3 million which went towards the fall midterm elections. Angry crowds encouraged the public to boycott Nathan’s hot dog owner Howard Lorber as the fallout continued throughout the summer. This year, the presidential reception will be less controversial as real estate developer Joe Farrell will open up his “Sandcastle” house with tickets starting at $2,800 and going up to $5,600 per person for the VIP after-party. The event, where the president will speak for a minimum of one hour, will also feature political heavyweights Lindsey Graham, Lee Zeldin, Brad Parscale, Tommy Hicks, Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle and Don Trump, Jr. Farrell has become the go-to guy for splashy Republican happenings as Rudy Guiliani held his 75th birthday party at his estate in May. Farrell and Trump are golf buddies from Palm Beach and have more than a few things in common as Farrell is the largest real estate developer in the Hamptons.
In a twist of irony, Trump haters Jay-Z and Beyonce rented the mansion at 612 Halsey Lane in August 2012 for $400,000-not unreasonable considering it is situated on 11.5 acres with 17,000 square feet of living space. The house also contains a bowling alley, twelve bedrooms, a children’s entertainment center, a movie theater, a baseball field, a gym and basketball court, a pool house and 60-foot pool, and a sunken tennis court. Some other never Trumpers who have stayed at Farrell’s digs include Madonna, and Justin Bieber.
Farrell has been trying to sell the property since 2009, and recently cut the price from nearly $50 million to a more “reasonable” $39.95 million. In 2013 a buyer offered $43.5 million only to be turned down as it becomes increasingly evident Farrell is attached to this behemoth. Many architectural purists despise the mega mansions Farrell has become notorious for as it creates an aesthetic dissonance in the wealthy enclave. Farrell is also building in upstate New York and Long Island with a luxury apartment development on its way in Newburgh. Some other fundraisers the President held this summer included a more reasonably priced Friday July 19th event at the Trump Golf Club in Bedminster where tickets could be had for $1,000 and a July 22nd Mike Pence event in Aspen which was $35,000 per couple.
While certainly GOPers such as Wilbur Ross, Steve Mnuchin, and Don Trump Jr. have been Hamptons mainstays let’s not forget Kamala Harris will be heading to Water Mill on August 18th where she will be hosted by Michael and Jackie Kempner and Cory Booker will be at Bon Jovi’s house that same day for an East Hampton fundraiser-if you are an undecided Democrat you can hit two shindigs with one stone.
Moreover, who can forget Hillary Clinton’s three-day campaign spree in August 2016 which concluded in Sagaponack, where millions were raised and guests were serenaded by Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, and Jimmy Buffett with McCartney joking it was the first time he paid to hear himself sing. Biden is also rumored to be heading to the Hamptons in August at an evening hosted by Frank Lautenberg widow, Bonnie. However, Trump continues to win the fundraising battle as he and the Republican National Committee have raised more than $100 million in the second quarter with Biden in second place with $21.5 million and Harris and Booker lagging behind with just over $12 and $4.5 million respectively during this same period. The appeal of the Hamptons is undeniable as it contains the largest concentration of wealthy donors, allowing a candidate to stop by and raise a cool couple of million with minimum effort and maximum results.
