Recent comments by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) revealed that the Donald Trump administration had let slip its intention to starve tens of millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance, columnist Peter Rothpletz argued Friday in an analysis on Zeteo.
Federal food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program, or SNAP, is set to be halted on Saturday for around 42 million Americans who rely on the program amid the ongoing government shutdown, and despite there being a trove of around $6 billion in emergency funds specifically earmarked for such occasions.
Johnson, speaking with CNN Thursday, accidentally let slip the party’s reasoning as to why Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration had refused to tap into those emergency funds, saying that doing so would “reduce pressure” for Democrats to support a temporary spending measure, Rothpletz wrote
“The Trump administration is refusing to utilize contingency funds that Congress has LITERALLY already appropriated for situations just like this to feed hungry Americans,” Rothpletz wrote. “They have some $6 BILLION to keep the most underprivileged among us from starving, and they’re refusing to touch it.”
Rothpletz’ concluded that the Trump administration viewed the hardship of 42 million Americans facing hunger as leverage, and a means to pressure Democrats into submission for its own political benefit, and thereby, “gave the game away” by mistake.
“Trump and the entire GOP leadership class want people to starve,” Rothpletz wrote.
“They want enough poor Americans to miss just enough meals that the bleeding heart liberals come crawling back to the negotiating table and allow Republicans to skyrocket your healthcare premiums. Like Thanos, they believe their ends justify their means, no matter how cruel or inhumane.”
Of the 42 million Americans receiving SNAP benefits, around 16 million are children, and a total of 12% of the American population are SNAP recipients.