Awkward scenes as Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive on NYE at his Mar-A-Lago Club

The incoming US president was joined by Melania Trump for the black tie bash in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of his January 20 inauguration

Donald Trump and wife Melania struggled to look the picture of unity as they arrived at his Mar-A-Lago Club for New Year's Eve.

The incoming US president was joined by Melania for the black tie bash in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of his January 20 inauguration. Trump had suited up for the occasion, wearing a bow-tie and three-piece suit as his wife wore an elegant asymetrical black dress slashed at the thigh. She finished off her look with a pair of pointed stilletos to show off her toned legs.

Yet as the couple was about to enter the club, Melania appeared to stand awkwardly apart from her husband, failing to show any gesture of affection before stoically walking side by side with Trump.

Also in attendance was Trump's close friend Elon Musk, who seemed to be in good spirits as he carried his mini-me son X AE A-Xii - who wore a near-matching suit to his dad - inside. Waving to paps, Elon smiled as his son held onto his face for support on his shoulders.

Trump's New Year's Eve party came at an unfortunate time after losing an appeal against E Jean Carroll's sexual abuse verdict, forcing him to pay the agony aunt millions in damages.

Yesterday, The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals issued a written opinion upholding the $5 million (£4 million) award that the Manhattan jury granted to the journalist for defamation and sexual abuse. The longtime magazine columnist had testified at a 2023 trial that Trump turned a friendly encounter in spring 1996 into a violent attack after they playfully entered the store’s dressing room.

Trump skipped the trial after repeatedly denying the attack ever happened. But he briefly testified at a follow-up defamation trial earlier this year that resulted in an $83.3 million (£66.4 million) award. The second trial resulted from comments then-President Trump made in 2019 after Carroll first made the accusations publicly in a memoir.

In its ruling, a three-judge panel of the appeals court rejected claims by Trump’s lawyers that trial Judge Lewis Kaplan had made multiple decisions that spoiled the trial, including by permitting two other women who had accused Trump of sexually abusing them to testify. The judge also had allowed the jury to view the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump boasted in 2005 about grabbing women’s genitals because when someone is a star, “you can do anything.”

“We conclude that Mr Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” the 2nd Circuit said. “Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”In September, both Carroll, 81, and Trump, 78, attended oral arguments by the 2nd Circuit.

Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, said in a statement that Trump was elected by voters who delivered “an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponisation of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed.”

Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer who represented Carroll during the trial and is not related to the judge, said in a statement: “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.”

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