More than two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its abrupt decision to suspend food stamp funding during the federal government shutdown. The lawsuits allege that the administration’s move to halt SNAP benefits violates federal law. The halt causes immediate harm to tens of millions of vulnerable Americans, and unlawfully ignores available emergency funding.
The immediate trigger was the USDA’s announcement that no SNAP benefits would be distributed on November 1. Nearly 42 million Americans depend on the program for food, while the federal government sits on $6 billion in available emergency funds.
Plaintiffs charged the Trump administration with violating the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit is calling out the abrupt halt as “arbitrary and capricious.” The USDA has also failed to provide a reasonable explanation for not using emergency funds.
The halt will have dire consequences for the 1 in 8 Americans, however, far-right pundit Matt Walsh dismisses the millions of Americans who are terrified their families will go hungry as “lazy” and “entitled thieves.” This is a typical far-right talking point that frames poverty as a moral failure.
Far-right Commentator Mocks SNAP Recipients
Matt Walsh claimed that a loss of SNAP benefits shouldn’t be worrisome because people should have other “lines of defense.” These lines of defense include family, friends, and soup kitchens. He then went on a long diatribe about how most people who utilize the benefits are actually evil. Walsh called SNAP beneficiaries “entitled, lazy, barely literate, and, like, some of them are just frankly bad people.”
He called it a “moral outrage” and claimed that taxpayers have every right to be upset about that. He equated SNAP benefits to people “stealing our money.” He added, “There are a lot of people who, rather than get a job, would prefer to rob grocery stores and the people shopping inside them.”
Unfortunately, Walsh isn’t the only one spreading the diabolical lies. Newsmax anchors have claimed that SNAP benefits are often misused. Rob Schmitt even went on to say that recipients spend funds on frivolous things like hair extensions rather than food. Newsmax did its absolute best to cast this essential program as nothing but fraud and abuse.
And how can we forget Fox News? Fox News has broadcast segments that use AI-generated videos to portray poor people and food stamp recipients negatively. The fake AI clips were meant to amplify perceptions of laziness, entitlement, and criminal behavior among the SNAP recipients.
Florida Congressman Randy Fine has publicly raged against welfare recipients, demanding gratitude from them and proposing a ban on all non-citizens accessing aid like SNAP, Medicaid, or housing assistance. He claims such programs promote dependency and blames “bleeding heart liberalism” for national debt and bad policy decisions.
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Let’s Talk Some Facts
Walsh and other far-right pundits are repeating the age-old stereotypes about people who depend on welfare programs. However, all of it is just capitalist propaganda and lies. In reality, nearly 75% of SNAP recipients who can work hold jobs. However, they work in low-wage jobs and face unstable employment that does not even cover basic food needs.
Over 38% of SNAP households include working adults, and the program supplements their income, not replaces it. Most non-working SNAP recipients are children, the elderly, or disabled individuals who cannot work. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities called SNAP “the nation’s most important anti-hunger program.” In another report, it stated that SNAP helps 1 in 10 low-wage workers in the country put food on the table.
Let’s look at the other lie: SNAP Is Full of Fraud and Abuse. In reality, SNAP is one of the most efficiently run federal programs. The fraud rates are consistently under 1% of the billions distributed annually. Most payment errors are either unintentional or result from state agency mistakes. Even in states with the highest fraud claims, the numbers are minuscule compared to the overall program size, and tight eligibility screening further limits abuse.
Research shows that SNAP does not promote long-term dependency. What it does is provide temporary support for families facing economic challenges or periods of unemployment. Eligibility rules limit benefits for able-bodied adults without dependents to three months in three years, unless they are working or participating in job training. Despite what right-wing pundits claim about chronic dependence, research shows that SNAP participation is strongly correlated with improved food security and reduced poverty.
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