Michael Che Is Going Viral For Calling Out SNAP Benefits Being Cut Off

Michael Che of Saturday Night Live called out the cut-off of SNAP benefits, and he didn’t hold back. A man wearing a hoodie and a branded baseball cap stands on a red carpet with a neutral expression

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The 42-year-old comedian is known for edgy humor on the NBC sketch comedy series, where he and “Weekend Update” cohost Colin Jost poke fun at the absurdity of the current news cycle. But this time, he’s not joking around. Two anchors in suits sit at a news desk on a set with a world map backdrop, likely during a televised segment

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Following the US government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 and became the second-longest shutdown in American history last month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has “run dry.” A podium photo with a sign reading "Millions of American families will lose food assistance because of the Democrat shutdown."

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The Trump administration claimed reserve funds were not “legally available” to fund November benefits, and more than 40 million Americans who rely on the program will go without aid starting Nov. 1.

In a Nov. 1 Instagram post, Michael shared how the “snap freeze is really fucked up.” A person is sitting in a stadium, wearing a casual hoodie and cap, surrounded by other spectators. Their expression is thoughtful

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“i keep seeing a lotta racist videos celebrating (mostly black) families not being able to buy groceries.. theres this weird idea that since some people have taken advantage of welfare benefits in the hood, NOBODY should receive help, at all..?” Michael said. Person in casual attire with a jacket and hoodie, wearing a cap, posing at a public event

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He continued, “this country is built on greedy motherfuckers taking shortcuts and gaming the system to their benefit, but for some reason, when poor people find a way to turn nickel into a dime, they’re judged more severely, especially blacks.”

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“i kno the whole hustle is to hate each other here so we can fight in the comments and up our engagements.. but lets draw the line at feeding the poor,” he added, sharing his own experiences with receiving benefits. “i grew up on free cheese and powdered milk and waiting for your friends to leave the store so they wont see me pay with stamps.. that shit aint as glamorous as it sounds. i promise.” Person in a purple hoodie smiling while speaking into a microphone, wearing headphones in a studio setting

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In the comments, there was a resounding reaction to Michael’s comments, with a handful of comedians and fellow SNL alums in agreement. Social media post with four comments praising a person named Che for their message. Comments include appreciation gestures and agreement Other people shared how SNAP benefits affected their families. Comment about grocery shopping with food stamps, highlighting that it's not glamorous and calling out laughing at those struggling to eat as heinous

And others were justifiably pissed off by the SNAP freeze, as seen in the comments and this Reddit thread. One user wrote, “I fucking hate anyone that makes being poor a failure of the individual rather than a failure of the system.” Instagram comment by lynnie12345 expressing dislike for blaming poverty on individuals instead of systemic issues. 879 likes, posted 22 hours ago “Majority of SNAP recipients literally work like everyone else. All you see is people celebrating because they think recipients are living off the system, too lazy, want handouts, etc. when that’s the minority of the population on these benefits,” one person wrote on Reddit. Comment by ydavila: Emphasizes that black and brown individuals are not the primary recipients of government assistance “The crazy thing is that most of the SNAP benefits go to… white people. Because this country is like 70% white. So yeah, poor urban POCs do use SNAP but so do rural and suburban White people.. I wish that Trump literally taking away the ability to buy groceries from some 40 million Americans would make people wake up, but apparently that man can do anything and get away with it..,” another user wrote.

Comment highlighting that many who receive SNAP benefits are employed yet underpaid, pointing out issues with the economy and wage subsidies Another user said, “This is absolutely a class war. For centuries rich people have spent every dime they have to ensure their spot in the very exclusive club of greedy war mongers. They’ve sold out their own people, had innocent people killed for their gluttony, they have gone out of their way to make sure the lower class stays enslaved and sick and hungry in order to keep them under control.”And finally, this person said what we’re all thinking because Michael Che was serious, and “didn’t slip not one joke into this” Instagram post. Comment about someone named Che not including humor in a post, gaining substantial attention