Why Did Trump Skip Mar-A-Lago's New Year's Eve Party?

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Thursday skipped their annual Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party and returned to the White House on short notice.

Guests who bought tickets to the party were initially told that Trump would be attending the New Year’s Eve gala. On Tuesday, a member of the private golf club told CNN that at least 500 people have confirmed their reservations to the party.

Jennifer Jacobs, a Bloomberg News reporter, revealed Trump’s abrupt decision to leave Mar-a-Lago ahead of schedule on Twitter.

“Trump and First Lady leaving Mar-a-Lago a day early — heading back to the White House tomorrow at 11a, missing the New Year’s Eve party that hundreds bought tickets for,” Jacobs wrote.

Neither Trump nor the White House gave any reason as to why the president skipped his annual gala.

However, the Mar-a-Lago event comes as tensions between the United States and Iran escalate.

There is concern that Iran would order further retaliation following the death of top Iranian military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3, 2020, AP News reported. He led the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Five days after the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani, the Iranian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on a military base that caused brain concussion injuries to 100 U.S. troops.

On Dec. 20, Iranian-supported Shiite militia groups launched a rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy’s “Green Zone,” prompting Trump to issue a warning.

“Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Dec. 23. “Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over.”