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It was the week in which GOP lawmakers experienced setbacks at the ballot box, the federal closure became the longest in history, and countless individuals throughout the nation, encompassing 3 million in the Sunshine State, experienced their federal food aid slashed.

Yet, in the contrasting world of the Magic City, where tickets to an overwhelmingly right-leaning corporate gathering fronted by Donald Trump were priced up to $1,990, and ultra-wealthy individuals from Saudi Arabia rubbed shoulders with similarly wealthy American tycoons including the Amazon founder and Ken Griffin, those developments created barely a ripple.

Conversely, in a gesture that seemed almost to highlight the widening divide between the urban area's haves and less fortunate, organizers of the corporate summit cooked up a small perk for attendees: a $50 voucher to spend on meals to sustain themselves while they paid attention to their president congratulate himself for a era of prosperity he said his “economic miracle” had achieved.

Advocates say the action, along with the high-budget extravagance of the conference itself, was an poorly timed insult to more than a 500,000 Miami-Dade county inhabitants who just saw their own capacity to buy basic food items for their families curtailed by the reduction of the federal food stamp program.

“There’s just a massive cognitive dissonance between what ordinary citizens are experiencing, and the elite,” said Larry Hannan, spokesperson of State Voices Florida, a alliance of more than a hundred non-partisan, democracy-focused and civic engagement groups.

“The Amazon founder does not need a fifty-dollar food card. But we saw that with the 1920s-inspired gala last week. They just can’t seem to stop engaging in things that are shockingly out of touch.

“We have experienced shutdowns before, and while clearly the presidential environment is always somewhat unrealistic, presidents are usually astute enough, they generally know not to flaunt this kind of behavior. But this administration does not appear concerned.”

The president’s lengthy address on Thursday had the tone of a political rally, with well-known criticisms for longtime adversaries including the Democratic leader and the West Coast leader, and a fresh target: the newly elected democratic socialist NYC leader.

The former president touched on his financial policies, and lauded a host of speakers from the realms of government, athletics and business that populated the two-day agenda, created primarily by the local official to showcase the region and its investment opportunities.

The soccer superstar, the Argentinian football icon and World Cup winner, offered star power from sporting circles, along with grand slam winners the Spanish player and the American athlete. A conversation between the Miami mayor and the Venezuelan opposition leader, the democracy activist who last month won the prestigious award, was well received on day one.

Yet in general it was a curious and unmistakably partisan event with a roster of supportive speakers on the stage, enthusiastically applauded by a crowd of mostly younger and affluent supporters of the president in the crowd, some blending professional attire with his signature red MAGA caps.

How else to account for the presence of the rightwing president of Argentina, the country whose unstable financial system the US supported last month with a twenty-billion-dollar currency swap? Or that of Kingdom representatives the fund chief, head of its massive Public Investment Fund, and Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Riyadh’s ambassador to the US, promoting their country as ripe for investment while the former first family's financial ties and sway there come under greater scrutiny?

Additionally there was the leader of Fifa, dropping hints that Trump is being considered for the organization’s inaugural award, an unwanted honor that observers see established specially for the leader as consolation for his Nobel snub.

Additional participants, such as the chief executive of JP Morgan; the creator of WeWork; and the financial executive, have all previously supported, collaborated with or backed Trump, providing more than a suggestion of a partisan roster.

The city leader, unsurprisingly, had a contrasting view.

“Our aim was it to be a sort of a diverse representation from various sectors, right?” he explained to media.

“We convened. We said, ‘Hey, what are the prominent figures?’ Individuals from different backgrounds, various heritages, all genders … athletics, commerce, politics, tech, things that touch everyone’s lives.”

He highlighted conversations of forthcoming, money-spinning major occasions in the city, including the Formula One grand prix, next year’s global conference at a leisure property, and games during the 2026 World Cup, which he called “a generational opportunity”.

“The intention is that local residents are transformed by the experience,” the mayor said. “We want them to leave believing, ‘I can be on that stage.’”

The representatives of State Voices Florida, on the other hand, believe numerous Miamians are more focused right now on different concerns, especially soaring housing and food costs. Florida’s Republican governor declined a request from the group and others to declare an crisis over Snap benefits and tap state reserves to fund urgent food distribution.

“Every civics teacher would tell you it’s his job to care for the residents of Florida, and he’s doing the reverse,” the advocate said, observing the contrast of a conference of ultra-wealthy individuals taking place in the same county in which nearly one quarter of families rely on food stamps to get by.

“It appears to be this disconnection at the top. I don’t think the solution is choosing a Democrat or selecting a Republican, I just think we have to have greater compassion for individuals who are struggling in this state.”

Compassion was in short supply in Miami from the former president, a leader not known for ever taking responsibility during a crisis.

“The radical left Democrats are resulting in countless of citizens who depend on food stamps to go without support,” he said, attributing fault to the out-of-office political group for the federal closure.

“My desire is to have a nation that’s prosperous once more. Is that acceptable?”