The Rose Garden Club - When Public Servants Forget Who Works for Whom
In this episode, I examine the stark contrast between Trump’s lavish $2 million Rose Garden renovation and the reality facing millions of Americans during the government shutdown. While Republican lawmakers gathered for exclusive “Rose Garden Club” dinners—steak, chocolate cake, and self-congratulation—42 million Americans faced the loss of SNAP benefits, and families saw their healthcare premiums spike by thousands of dollars.
I explore how Congress orchestrated one of the most devastating attacks on America’s social safety net while dining on taxpayer funds. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” slashed $186 billion from food assistance over a decade, new work requirements targeted veterans and the homeless, and enhanced ACA subsidies expired—leaving a 60-year-old couple facing a $23,000 premium increase.
The math is brutal: the $6 billion SNAP contingency fund sits unused while 260,000 South Carolina households alone face benefit cuts. Twenty-two million families losing SNAP means children automatically lose free school meals. Republicans want to raise thresholds that would kick 12 million kids off universal meal programs.
Drawing parallels to pre-revolutionary France, I ask: when did our elected employees forget they work for us? When did public service become luxury dining while constituents choose between rent and food? And what happens when patience runs out?
A searing examination of political priorities, fiscal hypocrisy, and the dangerous disconnect between America’s ruling class and the people they allegedly serve.
