Gatsby party boy insists poor kids go hungry
Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday told a White House conclave of Central Asian leaders, “It’s an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the middle of a Democrat government shutdown.”
Vance knows from “absurd.” He is absurd every time he looks lovingly at his South Asian wife and looks away as the Trump administration’s ICE thugs violently abduct and detain the American-citizen children of non-white immigrants like his wife.
Vance’s complaint referred to U.S. District Judge John McConnell last week directing the Trump administration to continue paying SNAP benefits to 42 million Americans from an emergency fund allocated for that purpose. Regular SNAP funding ended on November 1. “SNAP benefits have never, until now, been terminated,” McConnell said in a hearing. That the government is in shutdown is no reason to withhold them:
“It’s clear that when compared to the millions of people that will go without funds for food versus the agency’s desire not to use contingency funds in case there’s a hurricane need, the balances of those equities clearly goes on the side of ensuring that people are fed,” the judge said.
The administration could either restore full funding by Monday (Nov. 3) or partial funding by Wednesday (Nov. 5). The same evening Trump threw a garish Great Gatsby themed Halloween party, he began crafting excuses to delay, saying his administration needed more clarity from the court. He claimed he did not have legal authority to tap the emergency funds:
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay,” Trump said, referring to the shifting of funds that has been used to pay troops as the shutdown has stretched on.
So much for honor
But ahead of sweeping Republican election defeats on Tuesday, Trump the Petulant defied the court, saying he would release funds only when the government reopens.
So McConnell on Thursday ordered the administration to make full funding for November available by Friday (today):
“People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable,” said U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr.
Judge McConnell directly rebuked President Donald Trump for stating “his intent to defy” a court order by saying earlier this week that SNAP will not be funded until the government reopens from the ongoing government shutdown.
Families are going hungry while Trump pouts. He is reportedly planning to appeal the court’s order that Americans on SNAP continue to go without food.
I wondered if Trump would double down on his contempt for Americans even after voters on Tuesday demonstrated their contempt for his actions. He did not disappoint.
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