A former Mar-A-Lago employee described the Trump family as "lovely people" in an article about her experiences for Newsweek.
While working at Mar-A-Lago from 2016 to 2018, Ashleigh Sasson observed another side of Trump and his relatives that is seldom depicted in the overwhelmingly negative media coverage of the family.
Sasson said she has "fond memories" of her time as a server and bartender at Trump's Palm Beach, Florida estate.
Sasson left a local burger joint to work for Trump, whom she described as "very professional, always smiling, kind, and generous."
Although she didn't see much of the former president, Sasson was able to observe his children and their families frequently and formed a favorable impression of them also.
Sasson served meals for the Trump family at the main dining area and at the more casual beach club. President Trump was the only one to tip, she said, but the family members were always courteous to the staff.
"Though the Trump family never saw a check, they were very gracious with their gratitude in the form of verbal appreciation and respect," she said.
The job often left Sasson starstruck, as she came into contact with celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and Rod Stewart. The workers were held to high standards and rewarded accordingly.
"The largest tip I ever received was $800, and the largest tip I ever saw was $1200 to another server on Easter Sunday," she wrote.
She would see Barron Trump kicking a soccer ball around with his late grandmother, Amalija Knavs, in tow.
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Donald Jr.'s kids would frequent the Beach Club for burgers and fries, she wrote.
"I loved it there. It had that similar beer and burger vibe I was used to at Duffy's, and it was oceanside. I would take pictures of the beautiful scenery. I get goosebumps just thinking about it now," she wrote.
Trump's private life has been on trial in his criminal prosecution over "hush money," which has delved into the salacious details of his alleged sexual encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels during his marriage to Melania Trump.
Mar-A-Lago was raided by the FBI in 2022 as part of an investigation into classified documents. Trump was charged alongside two former Mar-A-Lago employees, but the federal criminal trial is in limbo after the judge decided to postpone it indefinitely.
