The lavish dinner hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House last month was a stark contrast to the struggles faced by many Americans, who are now facing the prospect of going hungry due to the federal government shutdown.
Trump's decision to invite nearly 130 deep-pocketed donors, allies and representatives of major companies for a dinner to reward them for their pledged contributions to a new $300m ballroom has been widely criticized as tone-deaf. The fact that the federal government had shut down two weeks earlier seemed to matter little, as Trump's guests were treated to a feast fit for a king, complete with gold-rimmed plates and butterscotch ice cream.
The shutdown is starting to bite, and tens of millions of low-income Americans are at risk of losing access to food aid. Democrats accuse Trump's Republican party of "weaponising hunger" to pursue an extreme rightwing agenda. The images of wealthy monarchs or autocrats revelling in excess even as the masses struggle for bread are more commonly associated with the likes of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France, who spent lavishly at the court of Versailles.
But now America has a jarring split-screen of its own, between an oligarch president bringing a Midas touch to the White House and families going hungry. Trump's image as a "blue-collar billionaire" is being called into question, as he grew up in an affluent neighbourhood of Queens, New York, and joined the family business as a property developer.
Despite his claims of being a champion of the working class, Trump has made a personal profit of more than $1.8bn over the past year, according to a new financial tracker run by the Center for American Progress thinktank. His wealth comes from launching his own crypto ventures while aggressively deregulating the industry, as well as gifts, legal settlements and income from a $40m Amazon documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump.
The timing of the dinner is also significant, coming just two weeks after the shutdown was triggered by a disagreement over funding for the Affordable Care Act. The legislation delivers tax cuts for the rich while reducing food assistance and making health insurance more expensive for working families. A recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos opinion poll found that only 28% of Americans support the ballroom project, compared with 56% who oppose it.
Democrats are facing a challenge in how to respond to Trump's tactics, as some argue that they lack a killer instinct and are squirming on the issue. However, others believe that the next Democratic president should commit to demolishing Trump's ballroom. Joe Walsh, a former Republican representative aligned with the conservative Tea Party who became a Democrat four months ago, said that Democrats need to draw a line against Trump's tyrannical behavior.
The juxtaposition of Trump's lavish dinner and the struggles faced by many Americans is a stark reminder of the growing wealth gap in America. As John Zogby, an author and pollster, noted, Medicaid and Snap are "infrastructural necessities" in the poorest counties. Without these programmes being funded, hospitals and clinics will be shut down, affecting thousands of people.
The government shutdown is a perfect storm of crisis, and Democrats would do well to remember that they need to engage with rural voters who are feeling the pinch. Joe Walsh's call for Trump's ballroom to be demolished is a wake-up call for Democrats to take a firmer stance against Trump's authoritarian tactics.
Trump's decision to invite nearly 130 deep-pocketed donors, allies and representatives of major companies for a dinner to reward them for their pledged contributions to a new $300m ballroom has been widely criticized as tone-deaf. The fact that the federal government had shut down two weeks earlier seemed to matter little, as Trump's guests were treated to a feast fit for a king, complete with gold-rimmed plates and butterscotch ice cream.
The shutdown is starting to bite, and tens of millions of low-income Americans are at risk of losing access to food aid. Democrats accuse Trump's Republican party of "weaponising hunger" to pursue an extreme rightwing agenda. The images of wealthy monarchs or autocrats revelling in excess even as the masses struggle for bread are more commonly associated with the likes of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette of France, who spent lavishly at the court of Versailles.
But now America has a jarring split-screen of its own, between an oligarch president bringing a Midas touch to the White House and families going hungry. Trump's image as a "blue-collar billionaire" is being called into question, as he grew up in an affluent neighbourhood of Queens, New York, and joined the family business as a property developer.
Despite his claims of being a champion of the working class, Trump has made a personal profit of more than $1.8bn over the past year, according to a new financial tracker run by the Center for American Progress thinktank. His wealth comes from launching his own crypto ventures while aggressively deregulating the industry, as well as gifts, legal settlements and income from a $40m Amazon documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump.
The timing of the dinner is also significant, coming just two weeks after the shutdown was triggered by a disagreement over funding for the Affordable Care Act. The legislation delivers tax cuts for the rich while reducing food assistance and making health insurance more expensive for working families. A recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos opinion poll found that only 28% of Americans support the ballroom project, compared with 56% who oppose it.
Democrats are facing a challenge in how to respond to Trump's tactics, as some argue that they lack a killer instinct and are squirming on the issue. However, others believe that the next Democratic president should commit to demolishing Trump's ballroom. Joe Walsh, a former Republican representative aligned with the conservative Tea Party who became a Democrat four months ago, said that Democrats need to draw a line against Trump's tyrannical behavior.
The juxtaposition of Trump's lavish dinner and the struggles faced by many Americans is a stark reminder of the growing wealth gap in America. As John Zogby, an author and pollster, noted, Medicaid and Snap are "infrastructural necessities" in the poorest counties. Without these programmes being funded, hospitals and clinics will be shut down, affecting thousands of people.
The government shutdown is a perfect storm of crisis, and Democrats would do well to remember that they need to engage with rural voters who are feeling the pinch. Joe Walsh's call for Trump's ballroom to be demolished is a wake-up call for Democrats to take a firmer stance against Trump's authoritarian tactics.
. Like, what's next? A private jet ride on the taxpayer's dime? 
It seems like President Trump is just making it clear that he doesn't care about anyone except his deep-pocketed donors 
. And the timing of it all? Clumsy, man... two weeks after the government shutdown starts, and here we are with a dinner party fit for royalty 
.
I need some sources on that one before I can even begin to wrap my head around it. And what's the deal with Trump's wealth? Like, does he really claim to be a "blue-collar billionaire"? 
It just doesn't add up.
. Newsflash, Donald: that fancy dinner might have cost $300k per plate, but it's just a drop in the ocean compared to the real crisis facing Americans right now 
. And what's with the gold-rimmed plates and butterscotch ice cream? Can't you imagine the looks on those poor people's faces when they're lining up for food stamps instead of fancy dessert 
?
what kind of messed up thinking is this? i mean, the dude rakes in $1.8bn and still claims to be some kinda champion of the working class... meanwhile tens of millions are struggling to put food on the table 
where ppl like trump can just flaunt their wealth while others are struggling to get by. and it's not even like he's trying to be subtle about it 
. The whole thing just feels so tone-deaf...