It seems that some blue states have finally snapped when it comes to President Donald Trump’s administration insisting that the government shutdown is the fault of Democrats.
So, they’ve decided to inform visitors that if they’re panicking because Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be paused on Nov. 1 due to the shutdown, they can blame the GOP.
The official Massachusetts state webpage for SNAP benefits now has an alert that says, “President Trump is currently choosing to not issue November SNAP benefits that help you and many families put food on the table.”
The alert seen on Massachusetts’ SNAP program page.
The alert expands to say: “Starting in November, on a rolling basis some people will see a cut in SNAP because of changes Congressional Republicans and President Trump enacted in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’”
California’s social services website boasts a similar message.
“The federal government has shut down due to the failures of the President and Congress to continue government funding,” it reads in part.
The alert seen on California’s social services website.
The alerts seem to be giving Trump and the GOP a taste of their own medicine. At the beginning of the shutdown, multiple federal websites displayed pop-ups and banners that blamed Democrats for the situation.
Illinois decided to play tit-for-tat as well.
“Federal officials with the Trump Administration have told all states that if the Republican federal government shutdown continues, it won’t pay for SNAP (food stamp) benefits in November. As a result, SNAP customers will not receive November food benefits – unless there is further action from the Trump administration to reopen the government,” a notice reads.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) has repeatedly blamed Democrats for the extended government shutdown.
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
Last time there was a government shutdown under Trump in 2018-2019, his administration made sure people wouldn’t miss their SNAP benefits. But this time around, the GOP claims that the funds just aren’t there.
“That’s a Republican choice. That’s a Trump choice,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told Stephen Colbert on Thursday night, noting there’s “plenty of money” for food assistance right now.
“But what they want to do now is they want to basically pit the poor people that are on the food stamps against the middle class people that are on the Affordable Health Care Act, and basically say, ‘Let’s figure out how to get these people to fight each other,’” Gallego continued. “So both the Republican and Donald Trump can screw them both.”
The crux of the government shutdown is health care. Democrats want to extend subsidies for Americans who buy health insurance from Affordable Care Act exchanges. Republicans falsely claim that Dems want to give free health care to undocumented immigrants.
Meanwhile, Republicans have gone MIA amid the government shutdown, making it difficult to negotiate. Trump spent the last week touring Asia, where South Korean President Lee Jae Myung played into Trump’s ego by gifting the president a golden crown.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung presented President Donald Trump with a golden crown.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images
While Colbert was interviewing Gallego on Thursday night, he wondered why Americans can’t have affordable health care and be able to feed their families, too.
“It’s a false choice, though, isn’t it?” Colbert asked Gallego. “Shouldn’t we be able to do both?”
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“It is a false choice,” Gallego replied. “And like in a great country like ours, you can do both, right? With great leaders, you can do both. We don’t have a great leader in the White House right now, right? It’s just that’s just a fact.”
He continued: “But we have a man that wants to split us more than he wants to unite us and actually take care of us. That’s the problem that we have right now. And instead of actually being a leader, he’s off going overseas to get an affirmation from all these other countries that he is a leader.”
“The best way to be a leader for this country is actually be here and lead,” Gallego concluded. “You don’t need a crown to prove that.”