Weaponizing Hunger

The Trump administration is fighting for the right to keep families hungry

The Gist: Sunday afternoon, my great-niece told me we might not get our food stamps this month - or if we do, only partial. We have to wait for an Appeals court to decide. My family eating or not is at the Appeals court. That’s where we are. $23 billion in contingency funds exists, confirmed by federal judges, but the Trump administration is fighting in court to NOT use it. Forty-two million Americans - including my household - are waiting to see if the richest country in the world will choose to feed its citizens.

Sunday afternoon, November 9th. I’m checking the calendar to see what day my Social Security comes in. My great-niece Amanda walks into the kitchen and says, “We aren’t getting food stamps this month. Or if we do, it might only be partial. We have to wait for the Appeals court to decide.”

As my head started to spin through next steps, I stopped. It was a surreal moment. So my family eating or not is at the Appeals court? Really? So fucking strange.

I’m a disabled Navy veteran.…