Just a day before SNAP funding is set to lapse, President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretary in charge of food benefits launched a fierce attack on what she called the “extremely corrupt” program, arguing that “so many people are taking advantage” of food support.
The agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, spoke to reporters on Friday as millions of Americans face missing out on vital aid as a result of the ongoing government shutdown and a standoff between Republicans and Democrats.
As things stand, November’s benefits won’t be loaded on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program debit cards.
A “silver lining” of the looming benefits cliff is the chance to have a “national conversation on our SNAP program,” she argued.
“The problem is you have an extremely corrupt program,” she continued. “But up until this administration, and with President Trump’s direct focus on this and making sure every taxpayer dollar is spent appropriately, we’ve never really had the opportunity to dig in.”
