California Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned Republican leaders and the Trump administration for the devastating impact of the federal government shutdown on food assistance, invoking biblical teachings to underscore the moral failure of Washington. Speaking alongside state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson, News,om cited passages from Matthew, Isaiah, Luke, and Proverbs, asserting that feeding the poor is a core tenet of aligning with God’s will. “It’s not a suggestion in the Old and New Testament,” Newsom said, accusing leaders of sitting in their prayer breakfasts, with some allegedly editing out references to feeding the hungry from Trump’s Bible. “Cruelty is the policy,” he added. The governor’s comments come as California and 26 other states sued the USDA over its decision to suspend November SNAP benefits during the shutdown, with Bonta alleging the agency is unlawfully withholding payments from millions of Americans. The lawsuit highlights the broader conflict over government funding, with the USDA chief warning that 40 million people are at risk of losing food assistance.
Newsom, raised Catholic and educated at Jesuit Santa Clara University, has previously used his faith to address social issues, but recent criticism has focused on his rhetoric following the Annunciation Church shooting, where he criticized the White House’s emphasis on prayer. While Newsom insists the state is prepared with $80 million in emergency aid and volunteers, the administration faces backlash, with a White House spokeswoman accusing him of hypocrisy for shuttering churches during the pandemic while now leveraging religion for political gain. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins blamed Democrats for refusing to vote on measures to reopen the government and restore SNAP funding, warning that the country is on the brink of a crisis with 40 million Americans facing potential food stamp cutoffs.
Newsom’s legal strategy is also under scrutiny, with the administration asserting that the USDA is not fulfilling its obligations under existing funds. However, the opposition argues that the shutdown has created an unprecedented administrative challenge, and the prolonged funding dispute threatens to push the nation to the edge of a humanitarian crisis. This incident underscores the broader tensions between the executive and legislative branches, with the implications extending beyond a single policy dispute into a deeper ideological conflict over the role of government and the moral responsibilities of public officials.