Donald Trump’s administration is spending $5 million in taxpayer funds to coat four horses near the Lincoln Memorial in gold. Trump is already seeking $1 billion in taxpayer funds for his White House ballroom project, $100 million for his “Arc de Trump,” and over $13 million to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool  — over seven times what Trump initially promised the renovation would cost and overcharging Americans by nearly $1 million. 

Everyday Americans are struggling to get by in Trump’s economy. Meanwhile, as he spends taxpayer dollars on his vanity projects, he says he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situations, “even a little bit” and said, “We can’t take care of daycare. We’re a big country. We have fifty states, we have all these other people, we’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care.” 

In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump is once again showing where his priorities are. Working families are cutting back on spending and dipping into their savings to make ends meet, and what is Trump doing? Spending taxpayer dollars to coat statues in gold. In Trump’s mind, there’s room in the budget for his wars, tax cuts, and vanity projects, but not healthcare, food assistance, or daycare for working families.” 

While Trump spends his term focused on his vanity projects, his reckless economic agenda and deadly and costly war with Iran continue to tank the economy. New inflation data released this morning show core inflation in April surged to 3.8%, the highest level in years. First-quarter GDP growth was also revised down to 1.6% from 2.0%. To make matters worse, Trump’s job market is in shambles, as the unemployment rate remains sky-high and employers have announced over 300,000 job cuts this year alone. It’s no wonder consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level ever recorded for the second month in a row — lower than during the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.