March 12, 2026, 11:14 a.m. ET
Kai Trump, the president’s 18-year-old influencer granddaughter, went to a grocery store. And a lot of people aren’t happy about it.
That’s because she didn’t go to just any grocery store. She went to Erewhon, a trendy market in Los Angeles notorious for wacky wellness offerings and exorbitant prices.
In a YouTube video titled “I Brought My Secret Service to Erewhon,” posted March 9, Trump documented her Erewhon experience, which included purchasing a jar of dates and a smoothie for about $20 each. Overall, her bill came out to $233.
“I’m about to go, like, bankrupt with this stuff,” she said in the video. “I’m going to need to file for bankruptcy.”
The video has over 410,000 views and plenty of fury in the comments section: “The French revolted for so much less….” “Straight up Hunger Games at this point lmao.” ” ‘let them eat cake’ but actually.” Some have tried to temper the backlash, like one X user, who noted that, after all, “Kai Trump is maybe the last person anyone should expect to be in touch.”
It shouldn’t be a surprise this video received backlash − and truthfully, psychology experts say, the outrage has little to do with Kai Trump herself. Rather, the anger stems from something deeper: The stress so many Americans are under when it comes to affording daily essentials, like groceries.
“Especially now, people are having more difficulty finding jobs, more layoffs, difficulty with benefits being cut,” said Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist based in Florida. “People are curious about it, but also angry because of how things have shifted.”
Kai Trump and why her Erewhon haul struck such a nerve
According to Sarkis, the ire directed at Kai Trump isn’t so much about her, but about what she represents. To many, her Erewhon haul is a stark reminder of financial inequality.
Everyone knows vast financial inequality exists, but it’s now more visible due to social media.
“We’re seeing it blatantly in our faces,” Sarkis said. “That can make the frustration and the anger even more palpable when it’s right in front of us.”
For many, Kai Trump likely serves as a symbol of this divide, Sarkis said.
Erik Anderson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY there are several reasons why displays of wealth can anger people. One reason is that it taps into a feeling of resignation so many have about their own financial situations, he said.
Most Americans face financial burdens, which can contribute to mental health problems.
“Poverty itself can be a stressor,” Anderson previously told USA TODAY. “We essentially see that well-being correlates with income. So, basically, the larger the middle class, the more people there are who have a high level of well-being, and the smaller the middle class, the lower the well-being in the average population.”
What the anger says about us
It’s OK to feel angry about Kai Trump’s Erewhon video, Sarkis said. What’s important is to process those feelings in a healthy, positive way. Bashing an 18-year-old is not only wrong, but also doesn’t solve anything.
“It’s normal to feel angry about it,” Sarkis said. “The difference is what you do with those feelings.”
If you’re upset, see how you can turn those feelings into something productive. If you’re mad about your own situation, take steps to change it. This isn’t the first time a display of wealth has sparked public backlash (remember Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s luxury wedding extravaganza in Venice?), and it will not be the last.
“We can have a variety of feelings that come through that we don’t necessarily take accountability for,” Sarkis previously told USA TODAY. “And we really need to look at what is it that we’re angry about, and is there anything we can do to change it?”
