Republican Slammed After Telling SNAP Recipients to 'Stop Smoking Crack' [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Oct 30, 2025 at 11:35 PM EDT
Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana is facing backlash online after saying that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who don't have one month of groceries stockpiled should never receive the benefit again and added, "because wow, stop smoking crack." Newsweek reached out to Higgins' office via phone Thursday night for comment after hours and left a message.
Why It Matters
The fate of SNAP has become a critical flashpoint in the ongoing federal government shutdown, with nearly 42 million Americans facing potential interruptions in food assistance. The benefits are expected to stop being issued on November 1, which has prompted Democratic Governor of New York Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency and calls for GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson to open Congress to vote on a bill to fund the program.
The controversy sheds light on broader policy and cultural battles over safety net programs, the federal budget and the use of political leverage in times of crisis.
What To Know
Taking to X on Thursday, Higgins, 64, said: "There are 22 million American households receiving SNAP benefits for groceries, at $4200 per year on average. Try to get your head wrapped around how many pantries you can stock with $4200 dollars in properly shopped groceries. Any American who has been receiving $4200 dollars per year of free groceries and does NOT have at least 1 month of groceries stocked should never again receive SNAP, because wow, stop smoking crack." The post sparked criticism online as Higgins was accused of playing into stereotypes and questioned about how much he spends on groceries.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/republican-slammed-after-telling-snap-recipients-to-stop-smoking-crack-10969721
Link to tweet
@RepClayHiggins
There are 22 million American households receiving SNAP benefits for groceries, at $4200 per year on average.
Try to get your head wrapped around how many pantries you can stock with $4200 dollars in properly shopped groceries.
Any American who has been receiving $4200 dollars per year of free groceries and does NOT have at least 1 month of groceries stocked should never again receive SNAP, because wow, stop smoking crack.
They have created this whole racist fictional dystopian universe in their twisted brains, that it's nothing but "free-loading POC" who are "gaming the system", when over 1/2 the beneficiaries are white.
From here - https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/19/what-the-data-says-about-food-stamps-in-the-u-s/
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