Former President Barack Obama's 60th birthday party is being slammed as a super-spreader. The Dailymail and Trending Politics reported the details from inside the party including Hollywood celebrities' presence, the huge guest list etc. Here is what happened inside Obama's $12 million estate in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Celebrities including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, actor Don Cheadle, ex-NBA star Dwayne Wade, his wife Gabriel Union, Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen and their daughter Finnegan, Late Show host Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn were present at the star-studded event. Former senator and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, was also spotted at the Vineyard, say reports. Most of the A-listers were said to be staying at the Winnetu resort.
Details of Star-Studded Event
Initially the event was supposed to have 500 guests, but the number was scaled down to just close friends and family due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the number of celebrities thronging the Martha's Vineyard was an indication to Obama widening the definition of close friends.
Pictures availed from inside the party show guests enjoying cocktail party without wearing a mask. In one of the pictures even Obama is seen enjoying the party bare-faced, as reported by the Daily Mail. The move is being criticized as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] had recently issued new mask guidelines stressing on the need of wearing mask indoors. Guidelines had specified that even vaccinated people needed to wear masks in places of hot spots for virus transmission.
Tucker Carlson of Fox News called the grand event a super spreader. "I have to say, when you look at this, 500 guests, 200 fawning footmen and under butlers, what's interesting to me is the way that people are actually perfectly happy with this. A disturbing number of people are quite happy to be subjects," said Canadian author Mark Steyn.
The Dailymail reported that Obama, who was spotted playing golf with three of his friends, is said to have told the reporter: "Just make sure you get a good picture of me." A large greenhouse tent was erected, a sprung dancefloor was laid next to the main house, other facilities included vast marquee, outdoor chairs and couches and as the stars flew in the number of tents kept going up, say reports. Pictures also showed Macramé rocking chairs and canvas outdoors chairs stacked for the party.
From Menu to Precautions
Musician Questlove of The Roots was in the list of performers for the event. The menu is said to be meat-free, which included Spam Musubi made with plant-based faux-beef and faux-pork and Eat Just's plant based eggs. The Daily Mail also stated that cheesesteak eggrolls made with impossible 'beef' and 'cheese sauce,' from Perfect Day Inc were also in the menu. However, stations with oyster shuckers were said to be the highlight of the party.
The exact number of guests who made it to Martha's Vineyard is not known. However, when Obama showed up at 7.75 PM on Saturday, he had worn a mask along with a rain jacket, chinos and Stan Smith shoes. The event was organized by KG Events & Design, run by Massachusetts born sisters Kristen and Meghan Gosselin. The Daily Mail reported that Kristen is a fan of Michelle Obama.
However, reports also claimed that hotels across towns had a large number of cancellations due to CDC's recommendations. It is said that in Obama's birthday party, there was a 'coronavirus coordinator', to make sure the event was compliant with the most recent CDC guidance. Only the guests who had taken coronavirus tests and submitted their results to the medical 'coronavirus coordinator' were allowed inside the Obama compound.
