Donald Trump met his rich allies at a candlelit dinner to thank them for donating to his $200 million White House State Ballroom project. During the same event, he announced another privately funded project while the U.S. government is half a month into a shutdown without resolution.
As more federal workers continue to be fired and the furloughed workers remain unsure of receiving back pay despite the law, Trump continues to pour millions of dollars into fancy projects. On Oct. 15, he met with 130 major donors from tech firms such as Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, and defense giant Lockheed Martin, for a fundraising dinner in the White House East Room, all while common Americans continue to face financial restraints because of the shutdown.
