USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Claims Widespread SNAP Corruption, Orders Every Recipient To Reapply

The Donald Trump administration is moving to require every SNAP recipient to reapply for benefits. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins alleged massive fraud within the food stamp program, including payments sent to thousands of deceased individuals.

SNAP Reapplication Push Follows Fraud Allegations

Rollins announced Thursday that the Department of Agriculture will pursue a full nationwide reapplication for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after reviewing state data she said revealed widespread irregularities, reported The Hill. 

Appearing on Newsmax, she claimed that from 29 Republican-led states alone, "186,000 deceased men and women and children in this country are receiving a check."

"Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data what we're going to find?" she asked, arguing the numbers justify a sweeping reset of the program.

USDA Defends Overhaul As Trump Prioritizes Food Stamp Crackdown

Rollins said the administration intends to "fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit [and] make sure that everyone… literally are vulnerable, and they can't survive without it."

A USDA spokesperson backed the plan, saying Rollins "wants to ensure the fraud, waste, and incessant abuse of SNAP ends," noting that the agency is expanding recertification efforts and analyzing additional state data. 

Rollins also told CNN that SNAP is "corrupt," pointing to 120 fraud-related arrests as part of ongoing investigations.

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SNAP Benefits In Limbo

Rollins also warned that SNAP fraud was widespread, citing over half a million alleged cases in 29 states and questioning why the remaining states withheld data.

The Supreme Court had extended a temporary order amid the shutdown, allowing the administration to withhold November benefits, leaving millions in uncertainty as Congress advanced a bipartisan shutdown-ending bill to the House.

States had previously cautioned that up to 42 million people could face delayed or reduced benefits if the shutdown continued.

The USDA paused issuing payments approved after Oct. 16. SNAP, federally funded but state-administered, remained vulnerable amid the prolonged funding gap.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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