Republican lawmakers have united behind President Trump's $300 million privately funded ballroom, successfully defending the demolition of the entire East Wing while 42 million Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance next month.
The ballroom, which required destroying the historic East Wing and concreting over the Jackie Kennedy Rose Garden, has become a bipartisan rallying point, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller declaring it a triumph of "beautification" on Fox News this week. Miller passionately argued that the Republican Party "celebrates beauty again," contrasting Trump's renovation vision with what he described as the left's "grotesque, so-called 'modern art' that celebrates ugliness."
The timing of the defense could not be more fortuitous. As states from Texas to Pennsylvania notify millions of SNAP recipients that their November benefits will be suspended due to the 24-day-old shutdown, Miller emphasized that America deserves a ballroom "befitting the greatest nation in the world" rather than President Obama's "makeshift tent in the mud."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed Thursday that the food stamp program will run out of money in two weeks, affecting vulnerable families across all 50 states. Texas alone will halt benefits for 3.5 million residents, including 1.7 million children. Illinois announced nearly 2 million people will lose benefits before Thanksgiving. Wisconsin projects 700,000 residents without food assistance.
But Miller remained focused on the real crisis: Obama's temporary event structures. "That is absurd," he told Fox News. "We are the United States of America."
The ballroom project, which Trump declared fulfills a 150-year White House dream, has proven slightly less popular than expected. Polling shows only 33 percent of Americans approve of the renovations, dropping to 24 percent when specifically asked about demolishing the East Wing. Some critics, including Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis, called images of the demolition "heartbreaking."
Miller dismissed such concerns, noting the East Wing was "badly in need" of refurbishment anyway. He made no mention of whether hungry families might also be badly in need of refurbishment.
The USDA has declined to use its $5 billion contingency fund to continue SNAP benefits, with officials explaining they are "approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats" who must choose between "healthcare for illegals or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments."
