In a shocking and unprecedented statement posted to social media, President Donald Trump openly confessed that he is withholding food assistance for millions of Americans to pressure Democrats into ending the government shutdown — a move critics are calling “economic extortion” and “weaponized starvation.”
“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office… will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
— Donald J. Trump, Truth Social, Nov. 4, 2025
The president’s declaration effectively confirms that the administration is deliberately blocking food stamp payments to 42 million low-income Americans — including children, seniors, and veterans — until Congress caves to his demands to reopen the government without renewing health care and social subsidies.
Weaponizing Hunger
Economists and human rights advocates say Trump’s move could push millions into crisis within days. By law, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides essential food support to households living near or below the poverty line.
Halting those payments during a shutdown means grocery access for tens of millions will vanish almost overnight.
“This is not governance. This is hostage-taking,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). “The president is literally using hunger as a political weapon against his own people.”
️ A Constitutional and Moral Outrage
Legal scholars warn that Trump’s statement may expose him to new challenges under federal spending and separation-of-powers laws. Congress, not the president, holds the power of the purse. But Trump’s post indicates he’s personally dictating when and how essential programs are funded — a move without precedent in modern American history.
Former Senator Claire McCaskill called it “a declaration of contempt for both Congress and the Constitution.”
Even some Republicans privately admit the optics are disastrous. “We’re supposed to be the party of working families,” one GOP aide told Politico. “Now it looks like we’re the party of starvation politics.”
The Human Toll
Food banks across the country have already begun reporting surges in demand since the shutdown began. The Feeding America network estimates that if SNAP payments don’t resume this month, food pantries could see an increase of up to 300% in emergency requests.
“This is cruelty dressed up as policy,” said hunger advocate José Andrés. “You can’t threaten to starve people into submission and call that leadership.”
The Bottom Line
For the first time in U.S. history, a sitting president has openly admitted to holding the nation’s food supply hostage for political leverage.
It’s not just immoral — it’s un-American.
As one commenter wrote under Trump’s post:
“Mr. President, you’re not feeding the hungry. You’re feeding your ego.”
Sources: Truth Social (Official Trump Account, Nov. 4, 2025), AP, Politico, Reuters, Feeding America, Congressional Budget Office analysis.