This morning, news broke that starting November 1st, the Trump administration will no longer use emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits to the millions of Americans who rely on them. Benefits are expiring as the government shutdown drags on, and Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse over a series of fiscal year 2026 funding bills that include conservative policies. The main issue centers on whether to extend Obamacare subsidies. Millions of people could see health insurance premiums rise. In an official notification posted on USDA websitethe administration condemned the failure, accusing Democrats of withholding “medical care and sexual mutilation procedures from illegal aliens.” This is a message that experts warn scapegoating alienates groups and can itself violate federal law.
“Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to defund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bottom line is that the well is dry. At this point, no benefits will be paid out on November 1st. We are nearing a tipping point for Senate Democrats. They can either continue to provide medical and sexual mutilation treatment for illegal aliens, or they can reopen the government for mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable. They will receive critical nutritional support,” said a memo posted on the USDA website as of Monday morning.
The message accuses Democrats of shutting down government agencies to protect transgender people and illegal immigrants. The shutdown followed the Senate’s failure to pass a compromise bill on a series of funding packages for fiscal year 2026. Once those measures collapsed, focus shifted to a “continuing resolution” that would temporarily keep the government open without controversial policy clauses, buying time for further negotiations. But that came crashing down when Democrats insisted on preserving Obamacare subsidies to prevent millions of households from facing soaring premiums. With no full-year funding bill or stopgap resolution in place, the government shut down, federal agencies lost funding, and millions of people were at risk.
President Trump’s shift in focus on transgender people has led to growing speculation that Americans may view some of these anti-transgender riders as key policy priorities for the president toward a compromise bill, if a deal is ultimately brokered. The proposed policies include: Labor, health and welfare, education These include an outright ban on “all federal funding” that supports gender-affirming care and attacks on health insurance coverage for transgender people. Broadly interpreted, this language could dismantle programs for all transgender people in hospitals across the country and prevent Medicare and Medicaid from fully covering transgender medical care. of Commerce, Justice and Science Bill, Financial Services and General Government Billeven National Defense Authorization Act In the House, the bill includes provisions ranging from a ban on Pride flags to a ban on restrooms on military bases to rules that would force transgender people into prisons according to the gender they were assigned at birth. Taken together, these bills amount to a major rewrite of federal policy. LGBTQ+ Rights — instantly changes the legal and medical landscape for transgender people.
The USDA’s post is part of a broader pattern, a wave of overtly partisan messages the Trump administration has published across federal websites in recent weeks. Legal experts warn: Such posts may violate multiple federal laws Anti-lobbying laws and the Hatch Act prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for political purposes. Politico reported that multiple Hatch Act complaints have already been filed against the administration. But few expect meaningful results. Mr. Trump’s team has repeatedly ignored legal constraints and asserted near-unlimited executive powers to use government machinery for partisan purposes.
The message comes amid warnings from experts. 42 million Americans could lose access to food assistanceSNAP benefits are set to expire as the shutdown drags into November. For many families, opening the USDA website to check their SNAP status means encountering partisan messages blaming Democrats, immigrants, and transgender people for hunger. This is a cynical weaponization of the federal government’s platform, turning what should be a lifeline into propaganda aimed at stirring up anger against marginalized groups. It remains to be seen whether this tactic will gain political power. It’s another thing to scapegoat transgender people while out of power. It’s another thing to continue to do so when your party controls every branch of government and voters are watching their food and patience run out.
It’s a lesson some Republicans are already learning in Virginia, where Republican candidate Winsome Earl Sears Poured millions of dollars into anti-transgender advertising Attacks opponent Abigail Spanberger. But this time, the old strategy is not being used. Opinion poll reveals how many voters list transgender issues as their top concern It has actually fallen since the advertising blitz started— and Spanberger continues to hold a double-digit lead. These attacks seem all the more out of place at a political moment when transgender people are far from the root of the nation’s problems, and have been systematically stripped of power and protection under the Trump administration. Blaming America’s ills on this marginalized group may have once been a reliable wedge, but voters seem to be moving on.
Regardless of their constituents’ positions, many Republicans in power continue to lean toward anti-transgender politics, and ongoing negotiations to reopen the federal government are all but certain to put transgender people back on the table. Dozens of anti-trans provisions are expected to resurface when Congress considers the full-year 2026 funding bill. While the Democratic Party showed signs of resistance, it also showed moments of retreat. Most notably, he voted for the Senate version of the bill. National Defense Authorization Act That included countermeasures against trans. For advocates, the message is clear. Instead of waiting for politicians to do the right thing, call your elected officials and tell them where you stand on federal budget negotiations and transgender rights.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
