As America starves, President Donald Trump flashes his pearly chompers to party attendees. He partied beside his loyal constituents while 42 million people across America lost food benefits. While Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding lapses, Trump fills his gullet with luxury — a disgusting portrayal of wealth and disregard for the Americans he was elected to serve.
Amid the longest government shutdown in history —leaving tens of thousands of federal employees without pay —Trump attended his second party at Mar-a-Lago in a week. The theme, “A little party never killed nobody,” referenced the movie “The Great Gatsby.” Unfortunately, it looks like Trump’s partying and neglect of restoring SNAP funding will lead to the starvation of many Americans. However, Trump’s defiance continues, as he states SNAP would not be funded until the government reopens.
Losing SNAP, an economic stabilizer, is a disservice to all Americans, continuing Trump’s apparent need to disparage the country he is meant to uplift. SNAP benefits accounted for over $99.8 billion of America’s economy. Unfortunately, over the past year, Trump’s main goal has been to stop feeding the economy and now to stop feeding Americans altogether.
If Trump’s administration were an ornate cake, this starvation celebration would be the cherry on top. Attendees dressed in attire from the roaring 20’s. This throwback to the Great Depression is a reminder of a time when Americans also starved and the wealthy partied. History continues to repeat itself, and the people continue to suffer.
His partying is simply uncouth, tone-deaf and embarrassing. When America is facing disappointment with the government, the president should take charge and find common ground with the opposition — not to throw an extravagant party while ignoring the country’s dilapidated state.
Trump ignoring Americans’ needs is nothing new. His continuation of feeding despondency into America is despicable but predictable. The president has an obligation to answer to America’s cries. If the nation does not change, the hungry will still be hungry, and the wealthy will still party. The indifference Trump holds toward a suffering America can only be interpreted as an insult as distasteful as Marie Antoinette’s infamous, “Let them eat cake!”
