Disconnected Former President Praises Economy Surrounded by Admirers and Stars in Miami
It was the week in which Republicans suffered setbacks at the ballot box, the government shutdown became the most extended in history, and millions across the nation, including 3 million in Florida, experienced their nutrition assistance reduced.
Yet, in the contrasting world of the Magic City, where tickets to an largely conservative corporate gathering fronted by Donald Trump cost up to nearly two thousand dollars, and billionaires from Saudi Arabia rubbed shoulders with similarly wealthy American tycoons such as Jeff Bezos and Ken Griffin, those developments generated scarcely any reaction.
Conversely, in a move that appeared almost to highlight the widening disparity between the city’s affluent and less fortunate, organizers of the corporate summit prepared a small perk for attendees: a $50 gift card to use on meals to sustain themselves while they listened to their leader praise himself for a era of prosperity he said his “economic miracle” had achieved.
Advocates say the move, along with the high-budget extravagance of the conference itself, was an poorly timed affront to over a 500,000 local residents who just saw their own capacity to buy basic food items for their families curtailed by the gutting of the federal food stamp program.
“There’s just a massive cognitive dissonance between what real people are going through, and the privileged,” said Larry Hannan, communications and policy director of State Voices Florida, a alliance of over a 100 non-partisan, democracy-focused and community involvement groups.
“Jeff Bezos hardly requires a $50 food card. But we observed that with the Great Gatsby theme party last week. They just can’t seem to stop doing things that are strikingly disconnected.
“We’ve been through government closures before, and while obviously the White House bubble is always fairly unrealistic, presidents are usually astute enough, they generally know not to display this type of stuff. But this government does not appear concerned.”
The president’s hour-long speech on Thursday had the tone of a political rally, with well-known criticisms for old political foes including the Senate minority leader and the West Coast leader, and a fresh target: the recently voted-in democratic socialist mayor of New York.
Trump discussed his financial policies, and praised a host of speakers from the worlds of politics, athletics and business that filled the multi-day agenda, organized largely by the local official to highlight south Florida and its investment opportunities.
The soccer superstar, the Argentinian soccer star and global champion, offered celebrity glitz from the athletic world, along with grand slam winners Rafael Nadal and the American athlete. A discussion between the city leader and the Venezuelan opposition leader, the political figure who last month won the Nobel peace prize, was well received on the opening day.
Yet in general it was a notable and unmistakably politically charged event with a field of supportive speakers on the podium, loudly cheered by a audience of mostly younger and affluent backers of the leader in the audience, some blending business suits with his trademark red Make America Great Again (Maga) caps.
How else to explain the attendance of the rightwing president of Argentina, the country whose shaky economy Trump helped shore up last month with a $20bn lifeline? Or that of Saudi Arabians Fahad AlSaif, head of its $925bn sovereign wealth fund, and Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's diplomatic envoy, touting their country as ripe for investment while the former first family's business connections and influence there face greater scrutiny?
Then there was the head of Fifa, suggesting that Trump is in line for the organization’s inaugural peace prize, a controversial new award that commentators see created specifically for the leader as compensation for his Nobel snub.
Other participants, such as the CEO of JP Morgan; the founder of WeWork; and the hedge-fund manager, have all previously supported, worked with or voted for the former president, offering clear evidence of a partisan lineup.
The Miami mayor, unsurprisingly, saw it differently.
“Our aim was it to be a sort of a diverse representation from different verticals, right?” he explained to reporters.
“We convened. We said, ‘Hey, what are the prominent figures?’ People from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different genders … sports, business, politics, tech, things that touch everyone’s lives.”
He highlighted conversations of forthcoming, lucrative major occasions in Miami, encompassing the F1 race, next year’s global conference at a leisure property, and games during the soccer tournament, which he called “a generational opportunity”.
“The intention is that local residents are inspired by the experience,” the mayor said. “We want them to leave thinking, ‘I can be on that stage.’”
The advocates of the civic group, however, believe numerous locals are concentrating right now on other issues, especially soaring real estate and food costs. Florida’s GOP leader declined a request from the organization and additional parties to declare an emergency over Snap benefits and utilize state reserves to fund immediate food distribution.
“Any social studies instructor would tell you it’s his responsibility to care for the people of the state, and he’s doing the exact opposite,” the advocate said, noting the juxtaposition of a summit of ultra-wealthy individuals taking place in the identical region in which almost 25% of households depend on food stamps to survive.
“It appears to be this detachment at the top. I do not believe the answer is electing a Democrat or selecting a conservative, I just think we have to have greater compassion for individuals who are struggling in this region.”
Compassion was in limited quantity in Miami from the former president, a president not known for ever taking responsibility during a difficult period.
“Opposition lawmakers are resulting in countless of citizens who depend on food stamps to go without support,” he said, blaming the opposition party for the federal closure.
“My desire is to have a nation that’s prosperous once more. Is that acceptable?”