Trump’s $300M ballroom under spotlight as US cuts food aid: ‘Disgusting’
Trump critics have lashed at the US president for refusing to use contingency funds to continue food aid while spending millions of dollars on a new ballroom
The US Department of Agriculture has announced that federal food aid will not go out on November 1 due to the US government shutdown. This warning comes as the Trump administration confirmed it will not use around $5 billion in contingency funds to maintain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits into November.
SNAP, which helps roughly one in eight Americans purchase groceries, now faces interruptions, putting millions of families at risk of going without essential food support.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry,” read the announcement on the USDA website. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
Trump’s ballroom under spotlight
Trump critics have lashed at the US president for refusing to use contingency funds to continue food aid while spending millions of dollars on a new ballroom at the White House.
“This is perhaps the most cruel and unlawful offense the Trump administration has perpetrated yet – freezing funding already enacted into law to feed hungry Americans while he shovels tens of billions of dollars out the door to Argentina and into his ballroom,” Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Angie Craig said in a joint statement.
A number of wealthy donors and corporations — including Google, Amazon and Meta — have raised funds for the new ballroom, which is being constructed at an estimated cost of $300 million, according to the BBC. The East Wing of the White House is being demolished for the 90,000 sq ft project.
(Also read: In pics: White House's East Wing razed for Trump’s lavish ballroom plan)
Ballroom faces backlash
Sentiments on social media were varied, but a number of critics raised their voices against the ballroom.
“If you get upset about a poor single mom getting 3 hundred dollars for food-stamps, wait till you realize we’re spending 200 million on an unneeded ballroom so Trump can play DJ,” read one post on X.
“US government says it will stop paying for food aid next week. Somehow there is money for US military. Somehow there will be plenty of money for White House Ballroom. No one in Trump Administration can say they live by Christian values,” another user posted.
The account of the Democratic Party of Washington, OR wrote: “The administration has abdicated its duties to hungry Americans. While the president indulges in golden ballroom fantasies.”
“Donald Trump has an edifice complex at our expense! 42 million Americans are losing food aid, People are dying in Ukraine, Gaza and the Sudan and he is building a ballroom for 300 million dollars. Disgusting!” read another post on the platform.
