If Trump Wins, What Might Happen To SNAP (Food Stamps)?

Martin Dasko

Sun, Feb 4, 2024, 5:01 PM 5 min read

As election season approaches, we hear rumblings about potential candidates and their possible policies. One critical issue that can’t be ignored is what could happen to food stamps, since over 42.5 million people currently rely on federal food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

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Donald Trump made headlines during his presidency regarding his proposed legislation to cut 700,000 Americans off the food stamps benefits program, so recipients must face the reality of further changes to this assistance that many Americans rely on.

Here we’ll explore what might happen to SNAP, aka the food stamps program, if Donald Trump is reelected as president.

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What Happened to Food Stamps During Trump’s Presidency?

To predict what might happen to food stamps if Trump wins again, we have to look at his last term as president to see what actions were taken. The Trump administration announced a plan to end benefits for about 700,000 Americans in legislation they originally introduced in December 2019.

Trump argued that many participants in the SNAP program didn’t need the assistance given the strong economy and low unemployment. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue informed reporters that the bill’s goal was to restore the original intent of the food stamps program. Perdue also referenced the strong economy and that unemployment was at 3.6% at that time.

The goal of the Trump administration was to tighten the work requirements for SNAP. The new rule was proposed to limit the criteria for states that could apply for certain waivers by making 6% the minimum unemployment rate for each county. This would’ve been a steep change since able-bodied adults without dependents from 18-49 could receive food benefits for a maximum of three months during a three-year period unless working or enrolled in a training program of at least 80 hours per month. States have been able to waive the time limit to provide access to food stamps.

While the scope of this article doesn’t allow us to dig into the details of this proposed bill fully, it was intended to save billions of dollars while eliminating hundreds of thousands of Americans from the food stamps program.

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What happened to Trump’s food stamps bill?

In October 2020, a federal judge ruled against the bill when U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell stated that the changes would exponentially increase food insecurity for thousands of Americans. It’s notable because Howell had originally blocked the proposal earlier that year on March 13, the same day the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.

The Trump administration suspended the originally proposed implementation date, which was to be April 1, 2020. Then we had the election, and the rest is history — until now.

What’s Happening With Food Stamps Currently?

President Joe Biden recently signed a bipartisan bill into law to avoid government default by suspending the debt ceiling until January 1, 2025. The one notable change in this legislation was the new rules for the SNAP program. With the new rules, the age of those in the SNAP program who are required to provide evidence of work has been raised from 18-49 to 18-54.

The reality of this bill is that many financially strapped Americans in their early-50s without any disabilities or dependents could possibly become ineligible for food stamps. According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, it’s believed that around 250,000 people between 50 and 54 would likely lose benefits.

There are also new exemptions under the recent bill. Veterans, homeless of all ages, and adults under 25 who were previously in foster care will be exempt. The CBO also estimated that due to the new exemptions, about 78,000 more people would become enrolled in the food stamps benefits program. All of these provisions will expire in October 2030.

What Might Happen to Food Stamps If Trump Is Reelected?

While Trump hasn’t spoken much about food stamps, there’s no indication to prove otherwise that his administration wouldn’t attempt to bring in a similar bill as was originally introduced in 2019. According to the USDA, the bill proposed in 2025 would’ve saved the government $5.5 billion over a five-year period.

Critics of Trump’s past food stamps proposed bill pointed out the economic hardships this legislation would cause Americans. With inflation soaring over the past few years and further economic uncertainty, there’s a guarantee that any proposed cuts to the SNAP program would lead to outrage.

Trump has many close allies and rumored frontrunners for his VP position. While nobody connected to Trump has spoken about the topic, the Republican party has traditionally focused on trying to bring Americans back into the workforce.

Earlier this year, Reuters reported that a Republican proposal to expand the work requirements for the program would make it difficult for almost a million Americans to access the program. It was announced at the time that the Biden administration would veto the plan if it passes through Congress. However, if Trump gets reelected, there’s a chance that his administration would support a similar bill.

Closing Thoughts

While there’s still a long way to go until the next election, it’s worth monitoring the situation with the SNAP program, as any legislation on this matter will impact millions of Americans who are already struggling.

It’s worth noting that 36.9 million people received SNAP benefits in February 2020, which grew to 42.5 million in February 2023. It’s estimated that food stamp benefits participants receive an estimated $169 in monthly assistance.

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