The US Department of Agriculture has spent the past week notifying people that the country is (allegedly) overrun by individuals who are fraudulently claiming SNAP benefits, while (allegedly) driving luxury vehicles.

“In just ONE state, 14,000 individuals receiving SNAP benefits were driving LUXURY VEHICLES!” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins posted on X last week. The official USDA account made similar claims, which were then amplified by figures like Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Rand Paul.

Those numbers are questionable at best. For one thing, the report they come from doesn’t name the state where thousands of people are allegedly buying Ferraris while using government money to buy food. For another, that report doesn’t include any explanation of its methodology.

  • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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    8 days ago

    I feel like “luxury vehicles” is the same buzzword as “assault weapons.” A meaningless buzzword to evoke emotion.

    What’s a “luxury vehicle?” What’s the cutoff? Are they in a nicer Honda or a Lotus? Seeing as how this country’s citizens are famously one illness or ouchie away from financial ruin, did they purchase this vehicle before or after needing assistance? Are they still making payments or is it paid off?

    Facts and hard criteria or GTFO with this nonsense.

    It’s literally just trying to goad the struggling to pull the rug from the destitute, while the rich pop their champaign and laugh. It’s class warfare rhetoric to take the heat off the Epstein class, and anybody falling for it is a damned fool.