Trump blamed for blocking food assistance to low-income families

Let's put politics aside, as if that were possible, and look at how the madness of the last few days is affecting people.

A week ago, President Donald Trump announced that the 42 million Americans who participate in the SNAP nutrition program would not receive their benefits, this in the context of a government shutdown that is now reaching its fortieth day.

This in the context of millions of federal workers who have not been paid as the shutdown drags on, and many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck.

This against the backdrop of Trump hosting a lavish Great Gatsby-themed party at Mar-a-Lago, where guests dressed in formal attire watched the opera and feasted on blue cheese mousse, sliced ​​beef filet, seared scallops, and Trump chocolate cake.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CITES WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF SNAP AS FUNDING FALLS DURING SHUTDOWN

Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the administration to resume SNAP benefits, which cost $8.5 billion a month, but the Supreme Court gave Trump time to appeal.

And when at least nine states said they would pay SNAP benefits during the crisis, Trump ordered them to “immediately undo” any efforts to provide food stamps to low-income families, or face financial penalties.

Let's see: where does this leave the president?

I hate this word, but what are the optics of this determined effort to prevent these benefits from reaching hungry families?

After all, when a wealthy donor friend, Timothy Mellon, a banking and railroad heir, offered $130 million to ensure that American troops were paid during the shutdown, Trump jumped at the chance.

After all, Trump's tax cut was tilted toward the rich.

After all, Trump has further cut capital gains taxes on home sales, which will primarily benefit the rich and wealthy, allowing many to pay zero, or a reduced rate, on these sales. If you are not aware of this, you probably will not qualify.

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS THAT 42 MILLION AMERICANS COULD LOSE FOOD STAMPS AS SHUTDOWN PROLONGES

After all (this may have been the strangest thing) Trump said Obamacare is so terrible that he wants to send people $2,000 checks so they can buy their own insurance.

But where would they buy it if not from an insurance company? And what would they do if the stock market crashed? There's a reason health insurance privatization has never gone anywhere.

So, getting back to politics (inevitably), how does all this help Trump?

I get the idea that he is trying to ratchet up the pain level to get Democrats to end the shutdown on his terms.

A federal judge ordered the administration to resume SNAP benefits, which cost $8.5 billion a month, but the Supreme Court gave Trump time to appeal. (J. Scott Applewhite, File/AP Photo)

Democrats, who have made skyrocketing Obamacare premiums a central part of their narrative – and fear that millions of people will lose coverage unless expiring subsidies are extended – have held out longer than anyone expected.

For what it's worth, both sides deserve a lot of blame for not keeping the lights on during this endless blame game, instead of reaching an agreement, which is what we pay them to do.

But doesn't it seem like Trump and JD Vance, who called the judge's order “absurd,” don't particularly care if millions of families go hungry or take food out of trash bins?

Seriously, is there an alternative explanation?

DOJ ACCUSES FEDERAL JUDGE OF MAKING 'MOCKER OF SEPARATION OF POWERS' IN SNAP APPEAL

Blaming the other side is fine for regular political fun and games. But doing it during this kind of self-inflicted crisis?

Now that the opposition rejects accusations of cruelty, is there some level of nine-dimensional chess at which this helps Trump?

Trump says former President Joe Biden “went totally crazy” and handed out food stamps to “anyone who wanted to ask for it.” So has this liberalism gone crazy? I decided to do a little research.

It turns out that there are income limits and those in the program must meet work requirements. What's more, the oft-repeated allegation that illegal immigrants receive SNAP benefits is simply false, although exemptions exist for children and refugees. (Obviously, cases of fraud can never be completely ruled out.)

“SNAP/EBT food stamp benefits accepted” on a display inside a Family Dollar Stores Inc. store in Chicago, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

During the pandemic, as unemployment soared, Congress passed an emergency measure that temporarily suspended a work requirement for adults without dependents who were able to maintain employment. This happened under… President Trump, in his first term, in 2020.

Under a deal with Republicans in 2023, work requirements for SNAP were increased. That happened under…Biden. Meanwhile, some Republicans said the measure did not go far enough.

By the way, SNAP participation peaked in the fall of 2017, under Trump, which was related to hurricane emergencies.

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Sorry about the green visor, but I thought it was worth investigating further.

Most people don't have the time or interest to delve into the details. They simply know that they are not getting the food assistance they expected and neither are millions of other low-income families. And especially with his dogged determination to stop states from helping, many are holding Trump responsible.