Kamala Harris unleashed a blistering tirade against President Donald Trump, blasting his plan to construct a $300 million ballroom at the White House, an expansion that would reportedly demolish the East Wing, even as millions of Americans risk losing access to food assistance amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Appearing on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart podcast, the former vice president didn't hold back as she denounced what she saw as Trump's warped sense of priorities. "Are you f**king kidding me?" Harris said sharply. "This guy wants to create a ballroom for his rich friends while completely turning a blind eye to the fact that babies are going to starve when the SNAP benefits end in just hours from now. Come on."
Harris took further aim at what she described as Trump's fixation with grandeur and self-image. "I'm not going to be distracted by, 'Oh, does the guy have a big f**king hammer?' What about those babies?" she said, contrasting the proposed luxury build with the grim reality facing low-income families.
The opulent project, estimated at $300 million, would replace the East Wing with a sprawling 90,000-square-foot event space. The White House insists that the undertaking is being financed entirely through private donations, not taxpayer funds. Still, Democrats have slammed the plan as an outrageous display of extravagance at a time when millions are struggling to afford basic necessities.
According to the White House, the donations have come from Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Google and Meta. There are crypto firms as well who have donated, such as Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Tether Holdings.
The government shutdown has already disrupted federal food assistance for nearly 40 million Americans, with healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act also hanging in the balance.
Calling for immediate intervention, Harris accused Trump of betraying working families through misplaced spending priorities. "It costs $8 billion to keep SNAP going for poor children? Come on. And taxpayer dollars, by the way," she said, alluding to Trump's earlier $20 billion bailout to Argentina.
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