It was the week in which GOP lawmakers experienced a beating at the polls, the government shutdown became the longest in history, and millions throughout the country, including 3 million in the Sunshine State, saw their nutrition assistance reduced.
Yet, in the contrasting world of the Magic City, where admission passes to an largely conservative business conference headlined by the former president were priced up to nearly two thousand dollars, and billionaires from Saudi Arabia mingled with equally wealthy US magnates such as Jeff Bezos and Ken Griffin, those events created scarcely any reaction.
Instead, in a move that appeared almost to mock the widening divide between the urban area's affluent and less fortunate, organizers of the America Business Forum prepared a small perk for attendees: a $50 voucher to spend on food to sustain themselves while they paid attention to their president congratulate himself for a era of prosperity he said his financial success had delivered.
Critics say the action, along with the high-budget extravagance of the conference itself, was an ill-timed affront to more than a half-million local residents who just saw their own ability to buy essential groceries for their families curtailed by the reduction of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap).
“There exists a significant disconnect between what ordinary citizens are experiencing, and the elite,” said a policy director, spokesperson of a civic coalition, a coalition of over a 100 non-partisan, pro-democracy and civic engagement organizations.
“The Amazon founder does not need a $50 food card. But we saw that with the Great Gatsby theme party last week. They just can’t seem to stop doing things that are shockingly out of touch.
“We have experienced shutdowns before, and while obviously the White House bubble is always fairly unrealistic, leaders are usually astute enough, they usually know not to display this kind of behavior. But this government does not seem to care.”
The president’s hour-long speech on the event's second day had the tone of a political rally, with familiar criticisms for old political foes such as the Democratic leader and California’s governor, and a new one: the recently voted-in democratic socialist NYC leader.
The former president discussed his financial policies, and praised a host of speakers from the worlds of politics, athletics and business that populated the multi-day schedule, organized primarily by the local official to showcase the region and its economic potential.
Lionel Messi, the Argentina football icon and World Cup winner, offered celebrity glitz from sporting circles, along with tennis champions Rafael Nadal and the American athlete. A conversation between the Miami mayor and the Venezuelan opposition leader, the democracy activist who last month received the prestigious award, was well received on day one.
Yet in general it was a curious and clearly politically charged gathering with a roster of Trump sycophants on the stage, enthusiastically applauded by a audience of mostly younger and wealthy supporters of the leader in the audience, some combining professional attire with his trademark red Make America Great Again (Maga) caps.
In what other way to explain the attendance of the conservative South American leader, the nation whose unstable economy Trump supported last month with a twenty-billion-dollar currency swap? Or that of Kingdom representatives Fahad AlSaif, head of its massive Public Investment Fund, and Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Riyadh’s diplomatic envoy, promoting their country as an opportunity while the former first family's business connections and influence there come under greater scrutiny?
Additionally there was the leader of Fifa, dropping hints that the former president is in line for the group's inaugural peace prize, a controversial honor that observers see established specially for the president as compensation for his prize rejection.
Additional speakers, such as the chief executive of JP Morgan; the founder of the co-working firm; and the financial executive, have all previously supported, worked with or backed the former president, offering clear evidence of a politically skewed roster.
The Miami mayor, predictably, saw it differently.
“We wanted it to be a sort of a cross-section from different verticals, right?” he explained to reporters.
“We convened. We said, ‘Hey, what are the leading voices?’ Individuals from varied origins, different ethnicities, different genders … athletics, commerce, politics, tech, things that impact daily life.”
He highlighted discussions of upcoming, lucrative notable events in Miami, including the F1 race, next year’s G20 economic summit at a leisure property, and games during the soccer tournament, which he called “a historic moment”.
“Our hope is that local residents are transformed by the event,” the mayor said. “We want them to leave thinking, ‘I can be on that stage.’”
The advocates of the civic group, on the other hand, contend numerous locals are more focused right now on different concerns, particularly soaring real estate and food costs. Florida’s Republican governor rejected a request from the group and additional parties to issue an emergency over Snap benefits and tap public funds to fund immediate food distribution.
“Any civics teacher would tell you it’s his job to care for the people of the state, and he’s doing the exact opposite,” the advocate said, observing the contrast of a summit of ultra-wealthy individuals taking place in the same county in which almost 25% of families rely on food stamps to get by.
“There just seems to be this detachment at the top. I do not believe the solution is choosing a Democrat or electing a Republican, I just think we have to have more empathy for individuals who are facing difficulties in this region.”
Compassion was in short supply in the city from the former president, a leader not known for ever accepting blame during a crisis.
“Opposition lawmakers are causing countless of Americans who depend on nutritional aid to go without support,” he said, blaming the out-of-office political group for the government shutdown.
“My desire is to have a country that’s great again. Is that acceptable?”
