By Abubkar Yunusa
Former United States President, Barack Obama, has raised concern over the growing food insecurity crisis in America, warning that millions could go hungry if Republicans fail to protect access to federal food aid.
Obama, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said more than 47 million Americans — including one in five children — lack reliable and affordable access to nutritious food.
He lamented that as the cost of living continues to soar, more families are relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), also known as food stamps, to survive.
“Republicans need to act now to make sure those benefits are available to people who depend on them,” Obama wrote. “If they don’t, millions of children, seniors, and low-income Americans will go hungry ahead of the holidays.”
His statement came shortly after two separate federal court rulings temporarily blocked the administration’s attempt to suspend SNAP benefits.
A Massachusetts judge made the decision following a lawsuit filed by 22 Democratic attorneys general and the District of Columbia. A similar order was issued in Rhode Island after a case brought by several U.S. cities and non-profit groups.
Reacting to the rulings, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a post on X that “a court has ordered the America First president to feed the hungry.”
In a swift response on Truth Social, President Donald Trump claimed his administration lacked the legal authority to fund SNAP using certain available monies.
“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government,” Trump said. He added that he had instructed government lawyers to seek the court’s clarification on funding the programme.
The president also published the office number of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging SNAP recipients to call Senate Democrats directly.
Schumer fired back, accusing Trump of “lying and manufacturing a hunger crisis,” and of “using Americans as hostages.”
Governor Walz criticised the president further, saying, “Trump’s the first-ever president to let people go hungry during a shutdown.”
The political standoff has deepened concerns that millions of vulnerable Americans may face food shortages as the holiday season approaches.