People are struggling with the cost of living. Bills are high. Families are worried.
But President Donald Trump is focused on things that feel far from those problems.
A well‑known former adviser to Barack Obama says this focus could become a big political problem for Republicans next year.
David Axelrod talked about how Trump has been spending time and energy on lavish renovations and fancy projects. He said this obsession looks like something out of a history book, like the story of Marie Antoinette, a queen known for luxury while people suffered. Axelrod says that is not a good look for a leader when everyday Americans are struggling.
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Trump has changed many parts of Washington. He has replaced plain rooms with gold and marble at the White House. He redesigned the Oval Office. He made the Rose Garden into a stone patio. He began building a huge new ballroom that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
He also took control of the Kennedy Center’s board and made himself chairman. The board renamed the venue “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Trump even showed pictures of marble armrests that might be installed there.
Axelrod said people see these posts online and ask the same question: “What does that have to do with me?”
Axelrod pointed out that Trump promised to bring costs down for Americans. But instead of focusing on bills and jobs, he is posting pictures of marble handrails and gold decor. Voters looking at their own wallets may feel cut off from these priorities.
This is not just about decoration.
Axelrod said it sends a message that Trump is more interested in building monuments to himself than fighting for everyday people.
Trump is not running for office in 2026. But Axelrod says the Republican Party will still carry the memory of his choices. If voters feel that GOP leaders stand with luxury and self‑promotion instead of real needs, that could cost them support.
Some Americans have already noticed the change. While food prices and energy costs shift slowly, many people still feel the pinch. Seeing flashy projects during a time of financial pressure can make a leader seem out of touch.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
