‘Groceries are down’: Trump launches into deranged tirade as GOP moves to gut food assistance for 42 million people

President Trump visited Capitol Hill to rally support for a controversial Republican reconciliation package that includes significant cuts to food assistance programs.

When questioned by a reporter about how he could justify cutting food assistance while having campaigned on lowering grocery prices, Trump offered a perplexing response. “Let me just tell you, the cut is going to give everybody much more food because prices are coming way down. Groceries are down,” the president stated in the congressional hallway after meeting with the GOP conference.

The statement has raised eyebrows as it appears to suggest that cutting food assistance would somehow result in more food for Americans, potentially based on a belief that grocery prices are decreasing. However, economic data does not support the claim that grocery prices are currently declining. According to MSNBC, the Republican reconciliation package, referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” contains several provisions targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which currently provides monthly food stamps to approximately 42 million low-income Americans.

Among the proposed changes, the legislation would expand work requirements for food stamp recipients. Currently, beneficiaries up to age 54 face work mandates, but the new bill would extend this requirement to Americans between ages 18 and 64, including parents with children 7 years and older. The Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would make the poor poorer, with the food security provisions being a key part of this assessment.

How the proposed changes would impact food assistance recipients

The Republican plan would place new financial pressures on states regarding SNAP costs. This could potentially lead to reduced benefits at the state level if budgets become constrained. In addition to expanding work requirements, the legislation would also limit the ability of future administrations to increase food assistance benefits, creating a more rigid system less responsive to economic changes or food price inflation.

Some analysts have compared the SNAP provisions to other aspects of the bill, with New York magazine’s Ed Kilgore arguing that while the Republican plans for Medicaid are “egregious,” the approach to food security is “even more drastic.” These changes would substantially alter how food assistance functions in America and which populations would qualify for help.

Despite Trump’s assertion that cuts would result in more food for Americans, advocates for food security express concern that the 42 million current recipients of SNAP benefits could face significant challenges if the legislation passes as written. The bill is expected to face a floor vote soon, with Trump’s Capitol Hill visit designed to bolster Republican support for the package in advance of that crucial vote.