WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House scrambled Tuesday to clarify President Donald Trump’s latest remarks after his offhand comment about “putting tariffs on food stamps” sent reporters, economists, and several million SNAP recipients into collective cardiac arrest.
During a morning press gaggle, Trump was asked whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would be affected by the ongoing government shutdown. “We’re looking at everything,” the president replied. “We’ve got great food, the best food, tremendous food. But we can’t just be giving it away with no tariffs — that’s not fair to the taxpayers.”
Within minutes, grocery stores across the country reported mild panic buying, while CNN briefly switched from “BREAKING NEWS” to “APOCALYPSE MODE.”
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later sought to calm the chaos, insisting that the president’s comment had been “misinterpreted by the liberal media, as usual.”
“Let’s be clear,” Leavitt told reporters. “Food stamps are still coming — but yes, possibly with tariffs. Only small ones. Patriotic ones. Maybe 10 percent on kale.”
