The political divide in the United States is increasingly visible at the dinner table. Food bought for the home costs about 33% more in American cities than it did at the start of 2019, forcing families to use coupons, compare stores and cut items they once considered routine. The renewed Middle East conflict, tariffs and climate-related crop disruptions are adding fresh pressure to already strained budgets.

Against that backdrop, President Donald Trump’s taste for luxury aircraft, ornate surroundings and symbols of personal power carries a political risk. The contrast is not merely aesthetic: it sharpens the perception that national leadership is preoccupied with grandeur while ordinary people struggle with necessities. Affordability is now becoming a defining issue of the midterm campaign.