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This was Nixon's favorite song back in the early 70's. The political culture of making fun of poor people and criticizing politicians who advocate policies that help the poor has a long, long history.
So if you wonder where outlandish forms of MAGA political culture like this one come from...it's not some alien imposition suddenly imposed on the GOP from the outside.
When Johnny Cash visited the White House in 1970 Richard Nixon asked him to play "Welfare Cadillac," but Cash refused. Here's an article from the time where several Tennessee public officials express outrage at Nixon's offensive request. nytimes.com/1970/03/28/arc…
The other song Nixon requested (but which Cash did not play) was this one, by Willie Nelson's pot smoking buddy, Merle Haggard.
Here's a good history of that Haggard song which he wrote in 15 minutes on the tour bus. Originally it was intended as satire, but people really loved it (unironically) so he ran with it. telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/…
The themes in "Welfare Cadillac" plus "Okie from Muskogee" encompass probably 80% of the central message of the GOP from Nixon right on up through to Trump. Reagan put a smiley face on it...but the content was still pretty much the same.
