Trump’s efforts to take from the poor and give to the rich are on display once again. This time, he’s attempting to revoke funding for programs that help bridge the employment gap—programs that exist specifically to prevent families from being trapped in poverty. Now he’s targeting TANF, an EBT-based cash assistance program issued to families, along with child care assistance.
These actions don’t affect just one population. Families who rely on these benefits often depend on multiple programs at once to survive. By attacking them simultaneously, Trump is directly undermining young people’s and families’ ability to stay housed, employed, and fed. He seems to believe the power he holds gives him the right to revoke people’s livelihoods altogether.
The programs affected include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), totaling roughly $7 billion; the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) at around $2 billion; and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) at approximately $1 billion. These programs are designed to support families, child care access, and people with disabilities—cornerstones of basic stability for millions.
If Trump weren’t trying to weed out the most vulnerable, he wouldn’t be targeting programs of this magnitude. His focus on five predominantly Democratic-led states only reinforces the motive: harm the needy in states he doesn’t control in an attempt to exert political pressure. He backs these actions with ungrounded claims of fraud, offering no evidence to support them.
This retaliation has also been linked to demands surrounding Tina Peters, who is being held on charges related to election conspiracy after her involvement in a breach of election equipment. Peters claimed she was attempting to uncover fraud in the 2020 election—claims that were thoroughly investigated and debunked.
Trump’s broader tactic is to move through policy changes so rapidly that the resulting destruction disorients the public, making recovery feel impossible. He started with food assistance; when public backlash was too strong, he softened the language and modified the terms. Then came additional funding withdrawals, distracting from other rollbacks—such as gender-affirming healthcare for youth. It’s no coincidence that these actions are happening just as new restrictions are set to take effect for food assistance recipients, including limits on items like birthday cakes or energy drinks.
Trump repeatedly issues vague directives, expecting policy enforcers to invent the rules as they go. This leaves enormous room for inconsistency, harm, and abuse. If he were truly the “great president” his supporters claim—twice over—he would present evidence, clear guidelines, and universal standards. Instead, we’re left with chaos.
Maybe one day America will come to a shared understanding: Trump has been a disaster as a president and a disaster as a human being. I’m sure Epstein could have attested to that.
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