Lara Trump, the wife of President Donald Trump’s son Eric, has sparked controversy for saying that the government shutdown is only a “little bit of pain” for furloughed workers.
Trump made the comments on Bold TV earlier this week — according to Newsweek — and makes it clear that she strongly believes the shutdown is a good thing in the long run.
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“We get that this is unfair to you, but this is so much bigger than any one person. It is a little bit of pain, but it’s going to be for the future of our country and their children and their grandchildren and generations after that will thank them for their sacrifice right now,” she said.
Many government employees are continuing to work without pay, and some are not allowed to work during the #governmentshutdown. @LaraLeaTrump wants these citizens to know that their sacrifice is not in vain. pic.twitter.com/royaX1Roy0
— Bold (@BoldTV) January 21, 2019
Trump, who also hosts Real News Update, a Trump Production program, went on to say that she understands the hardships of the government workers who are suffering, but added that she thinks it’s for the best.
“I know it’s hard, I know they have bills to pay, they have mortgages, they have rents that are due, but the president is trying every single day to come up with a good solution here and the reality is it’s been something that has gone on for too long and gone unaddressed,” she explained.
“I would just tell them, please stay strong, we appreciate everything that you’re sacrificing, we’re behind you and we are going to do everything that we can, I know the president is doing everything he can to resolve this quickly,” Trump added.
While Trump feels very strong about her stance on the government shutdown, there are many who feel like her comments are insensitive to the employees who have been without pay for nearly a month.
A translation of rich lady Lara Trump’s message to federal workers: Let them eat (gluten-free) cake! //t.co/gh5z0PkLjF
— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) January 23, 2019
I think that no matter which side you’re on you can agree that the government needs to be open!
— Hold Me Right (@HoldMeRightFilm) January 22, 2019
Lady with lots of money (and food) tells federal workers who aren’t getting paid and can’t afford food for their families to suck it up. //t.co/f6knkzIxGq
— Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) January 23, 2019
“[Lara Trump], do you have any idea what it’s like to get bills in the mail that you can’t pay? Do you know what it’s like not to visit the doctor because you can’t afford the deductible? The amount of stress that puts on a family is huge,” one person tweeted to Trump. “It’s a lot more than ‘a bit of a pain.’ “
“The only thing worse than the ‘Let them eat cake’ attitude of the administration is someone like Lara Trump sitting on a golden throne telling people to take one for the team, especially if you’re not on her team,” another user commented.
Photo credit: Instagram / Lara Trump
