A video of a large line outside a food bank in Cleveland has gone viral amid the ongoing freezing of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown.
Fox News posted footage showing long lines of people queuing outside a food bank on its X account. At the time of writing, the video had accrued 599,000 views.
It is unclear whether demand for the service has increased in recent days, but it comes amid ongoing concern about food security while the benefits are frozen. Newsweek reached out to the food bank outside of normal business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The federal government shutdown, now in its 40th day, has become the longest in U.S. history and is impacting federal programs including SNAP, which provides around 42 million low- and no-income Americans with funds to buy groceries.
The White House initially planned to provide only 65 percent of November’s SNAP benefits, prompting lawsuits from several states and nonprofit groups. A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to fully restore payments using emergency funding, but after the Justice Department appealed the ruling, the Supreme Court issued an emergency order temporarily blocking full SNAP payments while the case is reviewed.
What To Know
The viral video shows long queues of people holding umbrellas outside Tremont’s St. Augustine Hunger Center on Friday.
It was originally shared by The Tremonster, an X account about the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland.
1.4 million Ohioans receive SNAP benefits, according to Fox News.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released a statement stating his intent to provide £25 million in state food assistance while federal SNAP benefits are paused. The benefits are expected to begin by the week of November 10, according to the release.
Newsweek reached out to DeWine’s office by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
Other food banks appear to have been affected by SNAP benefits being frozen. On Saturday morning in Tallahassee, Florida, hundreds of cars lined up outside a shopping mall for emergency food assistance organized by Second Harvest and supported by United Way of the Big Bend and WTXL.
Meanwhile, Feeding America told Fortune it had seen a sixfold spike in traffic to its online food-bank locator.
What People Are Saying
Writing on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, wrote: “REMINDER: Trump did this.”
District Judge John J. McConnell said in a federal court order that any SNAP delay would be “simply unacceptable.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday: “SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”
The Supreme Court order said in part: “Given the First Circuit’s representations, an administrative stay is required to facilitate the First Circuit’s expeditious resolution of the pending stay motion.”
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court’s administrative stay pauses McConnel’s previous mandate for full SNAP payments while the First Circuit Court of Appeals reviews the case.
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