Summary
- Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Trump for focusing on ballroom.
- Called project a "knock-off Versailles" amid food aid crisis.
- Highlighted millions risking loss of federal 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.”
Naturally, Newsom was alluding to the opulent 2,000-acre estate that was the residence of French kings in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Before the monarchy was overthrown in the wake of the 1789 revolution, it came to represent royal excess.
Trump's new ballroom mockups are remarkably comparable to the French chateau in terms of detailing and lavish gilding.
It is anticipated to cost $300 million and cover more than 90,000 square feet.
At the same time that the project's construction is accelerating, billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds might expire if the government shutdown lasts until November.
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.”
How does the USDA emergency contingency fund work?
This fund is intended to condense regular yearly SNAP benefits only when appropriated backing exists but is inadequate to cover full benefits. It isn't designed or fairly available to fund regular SNAP benefits in a financial time when no new appropriation has been made, similar as during a government shutdown.
The current USDA position is that this contingency fund can not be tapped to pay November 2025 benefits because the regular financial time 2026 appropriation for SNAP has lapsed due to the government shutdown.
The USDA has stated that using the contingency fund for regular benefits would undermine allocations for other emergency programs like disaster relief, academy reflections, and child formula. Despite an earlier plan posted on the USDA website suggesting the contingency fund could maintain SNAP operations during a shutdown.