WASHINGTON — President Trump’s cabinet member for agriculture. Brooke Rollins, has ordered a halt to federal funds for SNAP nutritional assistance in Minnesota and several other states. The targeted states all have Democratic governors. The governors have been at odds with Trump. They have refused Trump demands to share the names and personal data of SNAP recipients. In an online post Rollins said:
“No data, no. money. It’s that simple. If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding. Let’s see which states stand for accountability and which are just protecting their bribery schemes.”
Rollins offered no evidence of bribery. She seemed to be picking up on a chatter in right-wing media ecosystems alleging massive state-level abuses in administering SNAP payments. National Republican strategists have been struggling to manufacture traction with SNAP heading into 2026 congressional elections. Most states with a Trump-friendly Republican governors have turned over their SNAP data. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and fellow Democratic governors have refused. They worry that Trump will use the data to target individuals for deportation. Rollins tjreat may be mere. bluster for the sake of headlines. Since October a federal judge has blocked Trump from defunding SNAP funds to states such as Minnesota that haven’t share SNAP data.
Earlier: Second U.S. judge slams Trump food denial
Earlier: Earlier: Judge to Trump on stopping food aid: You can’t
Rollins. Appointed by Trump as U.S. agriculture y in Match. She grew up on a farm but has no career experience in agriculture. Her life’s work has been in rightist Washington think-tanks.