Trump throws ‘Gatsby’-themed gala as SNAP benefits expire 

I hope everyone had a good Halloween. The president certainly did — he spent his weekend throwing a Great Gatsby–themed party at Mar-a-Lago.  

Now, “The Great Gatsby,” for those who might’ve missed the symbolism in high-school English, is a story about excess, illusion and the moral decay behind wealth. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of the rich: “They were careless people … they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness … and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”  

So the question is, was this Gatsby theme a deliberate metaphor, or just completely tone-deaf? Because while guests sipped champagne under chandeliers, millions of Americans were losing SNAP benefits amid one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history.  

And it doesn’t stop at the costume party. The White House is collecting money for a new Trump ballroom — a $300 million project — offering wealthy donors the chance to stay anonymous, even when their companies have business before his administration, according to The New York Times.  

The optics are grim. Major health care firms seeking Medicare favors, Wall Street powerhouses looking for trade advantages, even Nvidia’s CEO admitted donating to the project. The message is loud and clear: loyalty gets rewarded behind closed doors.  

Ethics experts have raised concerns about these donations, noting they could lead to special treatment for donors, or even test federal prohibitions on agencies accepting private gifts. Trump insists the ballroom is “apolitical” and that he’ll contribute his own money — but the secrecy surrounding certain donors only deepens suspicion.  

Meanwhile, a new Yahoo/YouGov poll shows 60 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, and only a third approve. The country is struggling, and yet, the president is hosting Gatsby-style galas. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom weighed in on X, writing: “Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsby party while SNAP benefits were about to disappear for 42 million Americans. He does not give a damn about you.”  

Trump once built his brand by connecting with voters, promising to shake up Washington and level the playing field. But now? He’s building a ballroom instead of rebuilding that bond.  

Because when you spend your weekend partying in your own marble palace while people skip meals — and when you take favors from the rich to fund your personal projects — you don’t just lose trust. You prove you never understood who you were talking to in the first place. 

Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.