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Minnesotan says she 'can't afford to eat' after Trump SNAP cuts

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  February 28, 2026 5:42pm CST
Politics
FOX 9

The Brief

    • A Minnesotan called into C-SPAN saying the Trump administration cut her SNAP benefits to $12.50 a month.
    • The caller says she's lost nearly 30 pounds from not being able to afford food.
    • The White House told FOX 9, in response to the call, that Trump has done more "than anyone" to fix "Joe Biden's broken economy."

(FOX 9) - A Minnesotan called into C-SPAN saying she "can't afford to eat" after the Trump administration made cuts to SNAP. 

Minnesotan struggling after SNAP cuts

What they're saying:

The Minnesotan called into C-SPAN during its "open forum" segment, and she stated her frustrations on SNAP cuts, stating she's losing weight because she can't afford to eat anymore. 

Here is the full transcription of what the caller said: 

"I'm 65 years old. I'm legally blind. I'm on disability. I went to my doc, I lost 28 pounds in the last year. I did not need to lose 28 pounds. I did not try to lose 28 pounds. I lost the 28 pounds because I cannot afford to eat anymore.

"Under Biden, I was able to put $100 a month away for food, along with my SNAP. And I did OK. I could get fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and meat. It's just me. But now with grocery prices so high, propane, electricity out of this world, I now only allow myself $65 a month for food.

"Under Joe Biden I received $80 a month for SNAP. That was taken away from me under Donald Trump. He took it away, he gave me $24 a month. I did receive that for a couple of months, then he took it down to $12...$12.50 a month.

"For them people out there...all these Republicans that are doing so flippin' well right now...I have 3 potatoes, I have a half a tomato, I have 3 bananas, one apple, one can of soup, a half of a loaf of bread, one egg and one can of green beans. I do not get paid until the 3rd. I am disability blind. I cannot drive a car. I am 15 miles out of town, so I am not able to just trot my butt down to the food shelf. I used to volunteer at the food shelf — I cannot even do that anymore."

"Why is it always the poor people helping the poor people"

FOX 9 reached out to the White House for a comment on what the caller said. Here's that statement: 

"President Trump has done more than anyone to fix Joe Biden’s broken economy and uplift families across the country. Under this President, inflation has cooled, real wages are up, and American families are already benefitting from No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on Social Security. He has also strengthened public programs like SNAP for American citizens who need them."

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