Instead of some good old holiday spirit at the latest Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was here to play Ebenezer Scrooge. Why are we saying that? Because she delivered a victory lap of sorts, all because she was celebrating the idea of blocking food stamps.
On Tuesday, Brooke Rollins said that Donald Trump’s plan to withhold SNAP food aid benefits from recipients in Democratic-controlled states was fantastic. This would take place unless those states hand over the personal data (like names and immigration status) of beneficiaries. A federal judge issued an injunction against the demand in October, but Rollins made it very clear that the administration will go ahead with this plan anyway. But this was nothing. Then came the moment that lit the internet on fire.
Brooke Rollins went on to describe the rollback of food stamps and said that she felt “gratitude and joy in this work” as she praised Trump. Critics, however, saw this as expressing joy over blocking Americans from having basic groceries.
Obviously, social media exploded. X (formerly Twitter) users compared Brooke Rollins’ delivery of this apathetic speech to a villain’s from The Hunger Games. Plus, lawmakers like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called the remarks “cruel.” Others even questioned why a Cabinet Secretary would express joy over an action that could take meals off the tables across the country.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on SNAP: “So much rampant fraud… 800,000 of 42 million have moved off of food stamps. We found 186,000 dead people, 500,000 receiving double benefits. Some people receiving benefits in 6 states.”
— America (@america) December 2, 2025
Now we have to remember that Brooke Rollins often argues that they need the personal data we mentioned before to fight fraud. She has also claimed that states that complied found concerning numbers of benefits going to deceased individuals and people collecting payments twice. But she did not provide breakdowns or amounts attached to those claims, though!
Meanwhile, 22 states and the District of Columbia have sued over the fact that the administration is now demanding highly sensitive personal data. Kansas didn’t join the lawsuit, but also didn’t share information, and thus, the USDA warned that funds would be cut off.
California Governor and meme lord Gavin Newsom’s office said they’ll believe it when they see it. The outrage makes sense, too, because about 42 million Americans rely on SNAP for food. The average benefit is about $190 a month, which translates to roughly six bucks a day. That’s why Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office blasted the move as “malicious,” PBS reported. New York Governor Kathy Hochul was wondering why the Donald Trump administration is so hellbent on people going hungry.
🚨 Trump’s administration just ordered states to undo full food stamp payments and threatened financial penalties if they don’t comply.
This is what MAGA voted for:
government by cruelty, punishment over policy, starvation as strategy. pic.twitter.com/pwuxrcaQRp
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) November 9, 2025
To be fair, the confusion around SNAP funding has been in legal battles for months, including nearly missing November deposits during the shutdown. Throughout it, misinformation has included Trump’s claims that were dismissed in a New York Times report that Joe Biden gave food stamps to “anybody that [would ask].” Behind all the noise, yes, fraud in SNAP exists. But experts say the far bigger culprits are organized crime networks stealing cards, not everyday beneficiaries who are trying to feed their kids.
But that nuance won’t be taken into account, will it?
