"From gold-rimmed plates on gold-patterned tablecloths decorated with gold candlestick holders, they gorged on heirloom tomato panzanella salad, beef wellington and a dessert of roasted Anjou pears, cinnamon crumble and butterscotch ice-cream. On 15 October, Donald Trump welcomed nearly 130 deep-pocketed donors, allies and representatives of major companies for a dinner at the White House to reward them for their pledged contributions to a vast new ballroom now expected to cost $300m."
"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, workers losing pay and government services on the brink of collapse. Donald Trump shows a mockup of the White House ballroom. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Shutterstock Members of the military and their families receive groceries from the Feeding San Diego food bank. Photograph: Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images"
A luxurious White House dinner hosted nearly 130 wealthy donors to reward pledged contributions toward a new ballroom now expected to cost $300m. The federal government shut down two weeks earlier, and the shutdown is beginning to cause harm to vulnerable populations. A potential freeze in benefits could leave tens of millions of low-income Americans without food aid. Democrats accuse the Republican party of weaponising hunger to advance an extreme agenda. The situation presents a stark contrast between extravagant spending for elites and worsening hardship for families, workers and strained public services.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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