"Marie Antoinette" sat in the audience for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday. (Photo: American Family Voices/@AFVhq)
Mar 14, 2019
Marie Antoinette traveled over two centuries into the future to express solidarity with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross at a House hearing Thursday.
"Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown," said progressive advocacy group American Family Voices in a tweet, referencing the famous quote attributed to the 18th century French queen. "We decided they should meet their inspiration in person."
Among the "let them eat cake" moments noted by the group was when Ross expressed confusion as to why some federal workers were forced to rely on food banks and homeless shelters for basic necessities during the recent partial government shutdown.
"I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me," Antoinette said in a spoof interview.
\u201cCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown. We decided they should meet their inspiration in person... Follow us and stay tuned.\u201d— American Family Voices (@American Family Voices) 1552422780
\u201cMarie Antoinette is in the hearing room, waiting to hear from Secretary Ross about why he lied to Congress about the addition of the citizenship question on the census. #letthemeatcake #savethecensus\u201d— Vanita Gupta (@Vanita Gupta) 1552572254
House Oversight Committee members questioned the Commerce secretary on the basis of his attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census--a change two federal courts rejected.
The grilling was part of the committee's marking of "Sunshine Week," which chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) called "critical now more than ever, as the Trump administration continues to obstruct our investigations in an unprecedented way by withholding documents and key witnesses."
"I'm sure it was a real comfort to Wilbur Ross to have Marie Antoinette in the audience today," Sarah Anderson, who heads the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the think tank's web site Inequality.org, told Common Dreams.
"For those at the pinnacle of a society's wealth and power, it can be disconcerting to face tough questions," said Anderson. "The former French queen was no doubt an empathetic presence in the room."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Marie Antoinette traveled over two centuries into the future to express solidarity with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross at a House hearing Thursday.
"Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown," said progressive advocacy group American Family Voices in a tweet, referencing the famous quote attributed to the 18th century French queen. "We decided they should meet their inspiration in person."
Among the "let them eat cake" moments noted by the group was when Ross expressed confusion as to why some federal workers were forced to rely on food banks and homeless shelters for basic necessities during the recent partial government shutdown.
"I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me," Antoinette said in a spoof interview.
\u201cCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown. We decided they should meet their inspiration in person... Follow us and stay tuned.\u201d— American Family Voices (@American Family Voices) 1552422780
\u201cMarie Antoinette is in the hearing room, waiting to hear from Secretary Ross about why he lied to Congress about the addition of the citizenship question on the census. #letthemeatcake #savethecensus\u201d— Vanita Gupta (@Vanita Gupta) 1552572254
House Oversight Committee members questioned the Commerce secretary on the basis of his attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census--a change two federal courts rejected.
The grilling was part of the committee's marking of "Sunshine Week," which chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) called "critical now more than ever, as the Trump administration continues to obstruct our investigations in an unprecedented way by withholding documents and key witnesses."
"I'm sure it was a real comfort to Wilbur Ross to have Marie Antoinette in the audience today," Sarah Anderson, who heads the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the think tank's web site Inequality.org, told Common Dreams.
"For those at the pinnacle of a society's wealth and power, it can be disconcerting to face tough questions," said Anderson. "The former French queen was no doubt an empathetic presence in the room."
Marie Antoinette traveled over two centuries into the future to express solidarity with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross at a House hearing Thursday.
"Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown," said progressive advocacy group American Family Voices in a tweet, referencing the famous quote attributed to the 18th century French queen. "We decided they should meet their inspiration in person."
Among the "let them eat cake" moments noted by the group was when Ross expressed confusion as to why some federal workers were forced to rely on food banks and homeless shelters for basic necessities during the recent partial government shutdown.
"I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me," Antoinette said in a spoof interview.
\u201cCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and several other members of Trump World had #LetThemEatCake moments during the government shutdown. We decided they should meet their inspiration in person... Follow us and stay tuned.\u201d— American Family Voices (@American Family Voices) 1552422780
\u201cMarie Antoinette is in the hearing room, waiting to hear from Secretary Ross about why he lied to Congress about the addition of the citizenship question on the census. #letthemeatcake #savethecensus\u201d— Vanita Gupta (@Vanita Gupta) 1552572254
House Oversight Committee members questioned the Commerce secretary on the basis of his attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census--a change two federal courts rejected.
The grilling was part of the committee's marking of "Sunshine Week," which chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) called "critical now more than ever, as the Trump administration continues to obstruct our investigations in an unprecedented way by withholding documents and key witnesses."
"I'm sure it was a real comfort to Wilbur Ross to have Marie Antoinette in the audience today," Sarah Anderson, who heads the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the think tank's web site Inequality.org, told Common Dreams.
"For those at the pinnacle of a society's wealth and power, it can be disconcerting to face tough questions," said Anderson. "The former French queen was no doubt an empathetic presence in the room."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.