BREAKING: 3.3 Million People Removed From Food Stamps Since Trump Took Office

A new milestone from the Trump administration is shining a spotlight on reforms to the nation’s largest food assistance program.

Speaking to Fox News, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that roughly 3.3 million people have been removed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since President Donald Trump took office.

“It was incredible news yesterday, a real testament, I think, to this president’s leadership and vision that we have to protect the taxpayer,” Rollins said. “We have to ensure that every government program coming out of the federal government is doing what it is intended.”

She added that recent scrutiny — particularly during last year’s government shutdown — exposed what she described as weaknesses in the system.

“I think the consequence of the shutdown last fall was a bright light was shown on a very broken program, and that is the food stamper SNAP program,” Rollins said.

The administration has tied the decline in SNAP rolls to a push to tighten eligibility, combat fraud, and encourage work requirements where applicable. Rollins suggested that many individuals leaving the program are transitioning into employment and greater self-sufficiency.

“We moved 3.3 million people off of food stamps, into work, and into a better life of dignity,” she said in a separate portion of the interview.

WATCH:

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins: “Since the president was sworn in, we moved 3.3M people off of food stamps, into work, and into a better life of dignity.”

“We’re making progress. We have a lot more to do. Obviously, Minnesota, California, New York are ground zero for… pic.twitter.com/Md1nyG07Vn

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 25, 2026

Rollins also pointed to fraud as a key issue driving the administration’s actions, singling out states like Minnesota and California.

“The Minnesota case is just one of many examples,” she said, referencing a high-profile fraud scandal that has drawn national attention.

That case is widely understood to refer to the “Feeding Our Future” scheme, a pandemic-era child nutrition fraud operation in Minnesota in which prosecutors say roughly $250 million intended to feed children was stolen through fake meal claims.

New York NY USA-October 8, 2024 A sign in a store in New York announces that the store accepts SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) formerly known as EBT

The administration has clashed with Minnesota over SNAP oversight. Federal officials previously pushed the state to quickly re-verify tens of thousands of households over fraud concerns, a move that was ultimately blocked by a federal judge who ruled the timeline likely violated federal law.

There is also retailer or insider fraud, where authorized stores or officials manipulate the program rather than recipients. For example, federal prosecutors in New York charged a USDA employee and others in a multimillion-dollar food stamp fraud and bribery scheme in May 2025.

During the 2025 government shutdown, SNAP benefits faced delays and partial payments in some cases, prompting legal challenges. More recently, tensions have emerged between the Trump administration and certain states over data-sharing requirements and program oversight. Rollins made clear that the administration sees its efforts as ongoing.

“We’re making progress. We have a lot more to do,” she said. “Obviously, Minnesota, California, New York are ground zero for massive fraud, but we’re working on it, and I think we’re going to make great progress in the years to come.”