US President Trump's declaration that the cost of a new White House ballroom could reach £320 million ($400 million) has crystallised a stark contrast between the administration's priorities and the everyday economic struggles of millions of Americans facing sharply higher health insurance premiums.
The ballroom announcement came at the same time that Congress grappled with whether to extend pandemic-era health insurance subsidies that are set to expire on 31 December 2025, a policy shift expected to send premiums sharply higher as 2026 begins.
