Trump's Marie Antoinette Moment
His callous "two dolls instead of 30" remark
Donald Trump’s “two dolls instead of 30” remark, flagged in Matthew Hennessey’s May 5 WSJ column, echoes Marie Antoinette’s infamous “Let them eat cake” moment. Dismissing concerns about his tariffs’ impact, Trump shrugged last Wednesday, “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls...And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.” Like the French queen’s apocryphal quip—flippantly suggesting the starving could eat brioche—Trump’s words betray a stunning disconnect from the struggles of everyday Americans.
By pushing tariffs that inflate prices and preaching austerity to curb “unnecessary” consumption, Trump’s words sent a clear message to the economically constrained, whose standard of living hinges on affordable goods, that their struggles don’t matter. Marie Antoinette’s callous disdain fueled a revolution and ultimately cost her head; Trump’s should also ignite outrage, but today’s polarized tribalism protects him. Still, this cruel jab at the vulnerable marks a new low, even for him.
