Critics Crush Trump Cabinet Secretary's Happiness After Her 'Cruel' Comments

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday highlighted efforts by the Trump administration to restrict federal food assistance in Democratic-leaning states. During a Cabinet meeting, Rollins announced that the administration would halt federal funding to states starting next week unless they provided detailed personal information about aid recipients to help identify potential fraud.

In October, a federal judge had issued an injunction after several Democratic states challenged this requirement, blocking the administration from enforcing it.

Rollins also claimed that former President Joe Biden had increased food stamp funding by 40% during his 2024 reelection campaign, a statement fact-checked as potentially false or misleading. She added that the administration is now working to reverse that increase, framing it as part of a broader initiative called Making America Healthy Again. Rollins expressed what she described as gratitude and joy in rolling back these benefits.

So now as we continue to roll that back so the partnership in Making America Healthy Again is also in food stamps ... but, again, just gratitude and joy in this work and so, so grateful to you, Rollins said.

Her remarks sparked immediate criticism on social media. Lawmakers and commentators accused the administration of showing pleasure in denying essential food aid. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called the comments cruel, while others compared the policies to scenes from Hunger Games.

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted: What kind of administration gets 'gratitude and joy ripping away food benefits from those in need?
• Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon commented: Gratitude and joy for taking food away from hungry American children, veterans, and seniors?
• Other social media users mocked the administrations stance, likening it to celebrating budget cuts as people wait in line at food banks.

Critics emphasized the irony of cutting food stamp programs, which also serve as an outlet for American farmers produce, highlighting the widespread backlash from both political leaders and the public.

Author: Sophia Brooks