Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) bashed President Donald Trump for focusing on his White House ballroom while millions of Americans are on the brink of losing food assistance.
Stamping the project with a scathing nickname on Monday, the governor wrote on social media, “While Donald Trump builds his knock-off Versailles on White House grounds, his government shutdown is depriving millions of Californians of federal food assistance.”
“Trump and his lapdog Congress just don’t care, period,” he added.
Newsom was of course referring to the lavish 2,000-acre estate where French kings lived during the 17th and 18th centuries. It became an emblem of royal excess before the monarchy was deposed in the wake of the 1789 revolution.
Mockups of Trump’s new ballroom feature heavy gilding and details that seem strikingly similar to the French palace. It is expected to span over 90,000-square-feet and cost an estimated $300 million.
Construction on the project is ramping up at the same time billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding are in threat of running out if the government shutdown continues into November.
California is one of 23 Democrat-led states suing the Trump administration for refusing to release emergency funds, which have already been approved and allocated by Congress, for food benefits.
In a press release about the lawsuit, Newsom wrote, “While Donald Trump parades around the world trying to repair the economic damage he’s done with his incompetence, he’s denying food to millions of Americans who will go hungry next month. It’s cruel and speaks to his basic lack of humanity. He doesn’t care about the people of this country, only himself.”