New Trump admin rule would cut SNAP benefits for 6.3 million people

The Trump administration is moving to cut off more than 6 million people from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

According to Reuters, a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture would reduce the number of SNAP recipients by nearly 18%. 

Is Trump cutting SNAP benefits? 

Big picture view:

The proposed USDA rule would eliminate automatic SNAP eligibility for families who already receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Currently, families who qualify for TANF or similar benefits automatically qualify for SNAP because their eligibility requirements are similar. 

By the numbers:

That would mean 18%, or about 6.3 million people, would lose food stamp benefits. 

RELATED: New USDA rule could force thousands of convenience stores to stop accepting food stamps

What they're saying:

The USDA was not immediately available for comment on the proposed changes. In the proposed rule change, the agency said the move would preserve benefits for the truly needy."

RELATED: Nearly 4.3 million Americans lost SNAP benefits last year

Why you should care:

The 6.3 million people who could lose food stamps is in addition to the 5.5 million who’ve already lost SNAP benefits since President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" took effect in July 2025. The tax law made significant changes to SNAP eligibility. 

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said in the past that a lot of the recipients were cut off because of fraud, though there’s no evidence to back up Rollin’s widespread fraud claims. She also has said fewer people need food stamps because the economy is so strong, but experts say that doesn’t make a difference for SNAP participants who face financial hardship.

If the new USDA rule is implemented, the agency estimates that 1.8 million children will also no longer be eligible for free school lunches, Reuters reports. 

The other side:

"This move by the Trump administration to take food assistance away from millions more elderly Americans and children is heartless and cruel," Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat who serves on the House Agriculture committee, said in a statement. "The proposed rule would make it harder to meet basic needs and roll back efforts to streamline federal programs. SNAP is a highly effective and efficient program when it is allowed to work as designed."

The Source: This article includes information from Reuters, The Associated Press, Rep. Angie Craig and previous FOX Local reporting.