PALM BEACH, Fla. — Not for the first time, President-elect Donald Trump's grand estate in southern Florida is now effectively acting as the winter White House, but after his victory against Vice President Kamala Harris, the feeling and energy there are much different than during his first term.

When Trump won on election night in 2016, he was at Trump Tower in New York City. He also held interviews for members of his Cabinet and senior staff at his golf club in Bedminster Township, New Jersey. The advantages that have set Mar-a-Lago apart from these other locations are that the venue is in a deep-red state and has the space to host large events for allies of the incoming president.

The seaside club has experienced a flurry of activity as Trump decides his new Cabinet, with the likes of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy close by. Even years-long adversaries like MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski made their way over to the property to have a face-to-face meeting, if only to express their disagreements with Trump's policies.

"What we did agree on was to restart communications," Brzezinski said.

'It's going to be decisive action. President Trump isn't going to wait around.'

The Conservative Political Action Conference, headed by Matt and Mercedes Schlapp, hosted its Investors Summit at Mar-a-Lago last week. The event featured speakers such as Argentina President Javier Milei, who remains hopeful that Trump's win means better days not just for the United States but for the world.

"I believe those of us who believe in freedom must unite to confront this barbarism. We must form an alliance of free nations, custodians of the Western legacy, by establishing new political, commercial, cultural, diplomatic, and military ties. In this regard, CPAC I think has a key role to play," Milei said. "Because only through the strength and cooperation of free nations can there be global hope for peace and prosperity."

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) told Blaze News he is most looking forward to the new Trump administration going into action on day one to fulfill the campaign's promises.

"It's going to be decisive action. President Trump isn't going to wait around. He knows the information. He knows the players. He's going to make quick decisions; they're going to be informed decisions," Donalds said. "You're going to get the appropriate response, quick decision-making, and leadership. That's what I'm looking forward to."

Donalds says he is not surprised by the renewed attention on Florida in general — not just Mar-a-Lago, since Trump has called on a number of Florida politicians to serve in his administration — because the state is "the best" in the nation.

"No disrespect to the other 49 states, but we're the best. Florida is a state in transition. ... We had similar problems like every other state in the country. Through leadership over time, we were able to change that. And so now, the president is taking some of the best from Florida, and we are going to make America Florida," Donalds explained, pointing to how Americans are still flocking to Republican-run states and not blue states like California or New York.

National security was one of the main issues Trump ran on, using examples like our continued involvement in foreign wars with no end goal in mind and the nation's open borders that allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood the United States.

Erik Prince said Trump's plan of not only sealing the U.S.-Mexico border but directly taking on the drug cartels and human smuggling operations while pressuring Mexico to be a partner in those missions will be a welcome change after the Biden-Harris administration.

"I think the Mexican president will be well advised to heed Trump's advice," Prince said. "America is their key trading partner, and I think Mexico needs America more than America needs Mexico."

No conference at Mar-a-Lago would be complete without a poolside black-tie gala. CPAC's gala featured remarks from Trump and from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Republican National Chairman Michael Whatley. It also featured the author of this article wearing a tie for the first time in a very long time at a formal event in South Florida.

Overall, there was a sense of relief but also excitement for what is to come starting on January 20, 2025. It seemed that while it was good to have a hard-fought victory, the work is only beginning to ensure the voice of the American people is not left unheard.

Whatever happens over the next four years, it is certain that Mar-a-Largo will continue to be the place where the action happens outside the nation's capital.

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