President Donald Trump's MAGA agenda has a spin-off, the RFK Jr.-led 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) movement that seeks to, well, improve the health of Americans.
The administration is looking at several ways of doing this, and one of those is imposing a ban on buying certain 'junk foods' with funds provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program. This was discussed back in February.
Here's what the AP wrote at the time:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly confirmed health and human services secretary, and Brooke Rollins, the new agriculture secretary, have both signaled that they favor stripping such treats from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Kennedy has been most vocal, calling for the government to stop allowing the nearly $113 billion program that serves about 42 million Americans to use benefits to pay for 'soda or processed foods.'
'The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches,' Kennedy told Fox News host Laura Ingraham last week. 'There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn’t be subsidizing people to eat poison.'
There's significant discussion around this, but it appears that Big Soda is not going to let go of that lucrative SNAP money without a fight.
Nick Sortor is reporting companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are paying people to lobby against the soda ban.
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🚨 PSA: “Influencers” are being paid BIG money by large soda companies to keep FOOD STAMPS (SNAP) paying for soft drinks
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 22, 2025
I refuse to take a dime from them.
I don’t want my tax dollars funding obesity, as taxpayers already spend HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS every year paying for…
The entire post reads:
I refuse to take a dime from them.
I don’t want my tax dollars funding obesity, as taxpayers already spend HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS every year paying for diseases which are preventable.
People can pay for the soda out of their own pockets
.Worse, I haven’t seen a single one of these “influencers” disclose they’re being paid to come out against the SNAP soda ban.
Stay frosty.
He also brings the receipts on how much money Big Soda makes off SNAP benefits:
🚨 Large Soda Companies are paying “influencers” upwards of $1,000 PER POST to lobby against the SNAP (food stamp) soda ban
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 22, 2025
Why?
Because Coca-Cola and PepsiCo pull in over $5 BILLION each year off taxpayer-funded food stamps.
DON’T FALL FOR IT. Big Soda is paying for these… https://t.co/CQmhSUR4oW pic.twitter.com/w9mTRbXZcs
There can be good faith discussions on this issue, but -- in this writer's opinion -- if the government is footing the bill, they get to decide what you can and can't spend their money on.
We do have an obesity problem in this country.
And soda is cheap.
Influencers should not take any money for this. Food stamps are paid for with our tax dollars. It’s not right that it’s used to pay for unhealthy food that creates medical issues that taxpayers are ALSO expected to foot the bill for. You can buy unhealthy food on your dime.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) March 22, 2025
If someone is on food stamps, they're likely on Medicare/Medicaid, which means we're also paying for their healthcare.
Isn’t that illegal?
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) March 22, 2025
You can’t push an ad for something on social media without disclosing it is an advertisement.
Also totally agree, taxpayers should not be subsidizing sugary drinks, that’s a no brainer.
It's not illegal, because it's not technically an ad.
You know what’s just as bad? Fruit juice. You can’t save people from themselves.
— Laura Kaye 🇺🇸 (@NonsenseEnd) March 22, 2025
No, we can't.
But we don't have to pay to help them.
Righteous.
— Dominic Michael Tripi (@DMichaelTripi) March 22, 2025
Snap needs to be drastically reduced and certainly not provide for the all the excessive junk that it does not.
One of the most abused programs there is!
This writer has seen videos of people using SNAP to buy glass bottles of milk only to dump the milk in the parking lot and return the bottles for cash.
She's been approached at the store by people trying to sell SNAP for cash.
It needs reform.
Sodas are not food. They destroy health. I haven't had a soda since 1999. Disgusting stuff. https://t.co/bW3TJoQbjd
— Heather Dunfield (@HDunfieldAuthor) March 22, 2025
Like most things, the key is moderation and portion control.
I don't drink the stuff...
— 🍿DeploRebel🍿KBinSC (@KBinSC) March 22, 2025
SNAP is to sustain someone, not make them FAT so we get to pay the medical bills too
Remove it from SNAP. NOT ON MY DIME https://t.co/ZSRByRVBnH
Another part of this is that there are a lot of Americans who don't get food stamps who have to make grocery budgets, plan menus, and stick to them.
They often forgo treats and luxury food items to make sure they're adequately fed.
It's supremely wrong for others to buy junk on our dime.
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