65 year old woman calls CSPAN and tells host she's slowly starving to death. Blames Trump's cuts.

[Swede]

Last edited Sun Jun 7, 2026, 09:33 AM - Edit history (2)

She lost 28 lbs in the last year, because she cannot afford to eat anymore. She is starving to death. Under Biden she had $100 for food. She now has $65 a month for food. Under Biden she also got $80 a month through SNAP. Under Trump she now gets $12.50 a month. "I have 3 potatoes, a 1/2 a tomato, 3 bananas, 1 apple, 1 can of soup, a loaf of bread, 1 egg, 1 can of green beans. The end is coming near for me."
Fucking heartbreaking.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fri9pGUFb/

CSPAN link. Caller shows up at 3:45 (Link was found by DUer sl8)

https://www.c-span.org/program/washington-journal/open-forum-part-2/674085

[Oppaloopa]

1. What can we do to help

[hamsterjill]

21. Of course we all would want to help, but

We pay taxes for these types of situations so that others can be taken care of. If I knew where this woman was, I'd most definitely want to take her some groceries.

But we couldn't do that for everyone in her position. I want my tax dollars to go to help people who need help; not for tax cuts for billionaires, and therein lies the problem.

Not busting your chops because I am sure you agree with this, and welcome to DU. My point is that we simply have GOT to get sane people back in control in this country. Because mere sanity would dictate that no one should be starving when there are some who can pay millions for some exotic lunacy.

[displacedvermoter]

27. Is there a way CSPAN can contact her so help can be provided?

I am shaking with a combination of anger and sadness at this. There seems that this lady starving to death is gonna mess me up now pretty seriously, and I know it it just one tragedy out of millions.

[displacedvermoter]

31. I just emailed the CSPAN listener service site, and asked if it

was possible to reach out to the lady in question. I am expecting a confirmation they got my email. I would hope they can get back to me. Not sure if I can sleep the rest of the weekend thinking about this poor soul. How frightened and alone she must be, and how hungry.

[whathehell]

34. Very nice gesture..

Do we know where she lives?..I just don't believe this woman can't be helped.

[displacedvermoter]

36. The cynic in me is also cautious, it might just be a scam

but damn, it very well is a real suffering person.

[whathehell]

37. Yeah..I've feel like that sometimes,

but by and large, I'd rather err on the side of kindness, than on that of coldness or hardheartedness.

[mwmisses4289]

2. You know, it's really sad that the first thing

that popped into my head wasn't sympathy for someone going through a really tough time, but wondering if this person voted for trump. It often seems lately that the people complaining the most are trump voters.

[yardwork]

7. I listened to the video and she's not a Republican.

She calls out the Republicans.

[MagickMuffin]

3. During the Great Depression pt 1, my parents ate dried beans and cornbread a lot

My in laws also ate a lot of dried beans and cornbread.

A full protein. Died beans and legumes can be cost effective. No need to starve yourself.

And yes, the trump tax cut to his crony billionaires while gutting social programs is and was the point of their cruelty. They don't care about us so they don't have to be concerned. The quicker we die the better off they will be!

[yardwork]

4. She has $65 a month for food.

With inflation, I don't see how she can afford to eat.

Edit: I listened to the video and it's actually only $65 a month, because her SNAP benefits were cut by Trump to $12.50.

[ColoringFool]

18. Your first three sentences. 🧐

[Coventina]

22. My great-grandmother kept a pot of beans on the stove 24/7

During the Depression.

People would come begging for food and she would always give them a bowl of beans.

[mucholderthandirt]

45. It's not that easy to eat dried beans and cornbread. She may be unable to cook, or not have the place.

Many people are suffering, and people say, "just do this, that, the other thing", but don't realize or don't care that sometimes you can't just jump because someone says to. Oh, just move to where the jobs are. Just move to where there's public transportation. Just do this, and you'll be fine. This site is bad for this kind of "advice".

That woman may be too weak to cook, and needs something easy to heat up. Or she may not know how to cook dried beans. Yes, it's easy enough to learn, but maybe she has other issues as well that prevent her from being able to look it up, like no internet.

I'm 68, and oddly enough, I've got more money now than I've ever had. I just got approved for widow's SS benefits, and almost doubled my payment. I'm still kind of in shock about it, and the back pay I got from the time of the ex's death.

I donate to local blessing boxes, don't trust the food banks. We have issues with managers taking money donations and using them for themself, rather than the needy. I have a few sites I try to get to each week, and the local libraries have drop off areas. Everyone is so surprised when I bring in the food and other items. Like they don't believe anyone would be donating. Since I've been sick, I slowed down a lot, so I'm going to ramp back up this week and have stuff to put out. One month after the big hospital deal, finally feeling like I might actually live through it!

One thing for sure, you can't count on this government doing anything. And it's summer time, school's out, and kids are going to be hungry. Help where you can, it does make a difference.

[milestogo]

5. There are food pantries in most communities.

The food is free to those who live nearby. She needs to ask for help.

[Johnny2X2X]

6. There is not help some places

Last edited Sat Jun 6, 2026, 05:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Depending on her area. But there are absolutely places without food pantries or charities. And if she’s struggling this much she probably doesn’t have reliable transportation to get to another area for help.

[PatSeg]

8. Yes, there's a good chance

that she doesn't have any reliable transportation to get help. There but for fortune, I would be in the same situation.

[haele]

10. There's a national organization "Meals on Wheels"

Unfortunately in most states, since the organization is locally run - the organization only supplies meals to homebound seniors and disabled without caretakers who also can't cook for themselves due to a physical condition, not seniors who are running out of food or have no transportation to get to food pantries.

Because if you just make too much money to qualify for generous food stamps - even if you barely afford the room you live in or meds you have to take, or you can get out of the house but don't have a car or friend, family who can take you shopping or you have the means and ability to cook - well, that's your fault for not having enough money or friends, now, isn't it Grammy?
Go call up a church, and wash that moral hazard off your soul. Or just starve, since you're useless now.
My very elderly mother calls the GOP and money-minded Libertarian(asshole) adjacent "Stingy Stinkers" - privileged, lucky folks who know the cost of everything down to the penny when it might affect them, but the value of nothing.

Meals on Wheels used to get all sorts of subsidies from the Federal Government to go along with their assistance programs, allowing them to expand their programs to include lower income people not exactly housebound but unable to access a month's worth of food (either by lack of cash or by living in a food desert without reliable transportation), but I'm pretty sure they got whacked too hard by the DOGE axe to continue with that expansion.

It's unacceptable that in a country as supposedly rich as the US is, with a huge number of single talent billionaires lounging around playing competitive money games with their - spaceships - that there's an increase of people who are starving like that caller.

[ms.pamela]

14. Federal cuts have been made to this program

[whathehell]

25. I believe that she is disabled.

She's legally blind, and if I'm not mistaken, she said she was 65 years old. That and the fact of being unable to drive because of her eyesight, should certainly qualify her as a 'homebound senior'.
She should call Meals on Wheels..Even if, for some reason, she doesn't qualify for that program, I don't believe the agency couldn't provide at least one viable alternative for someone in this woman's situation.

[Johnny2X2X]

28. Meals on wheels doesn't even exist in some places

She talked about the price of propane. People that use propane live in the country. She said she’s 15 miles outside of town. Town could be 200 people for all we know.

There are parts in most states where there’s simply no help available.

[whathehell]

33. Okay.

[lostnfound]

40. Wait times to get Meals on Wheels 'average 4 months' and 'are as long as 2 years'

https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2026/03/03/the-meals-on-wheels-budget-wasnt-cut-but-more-seniors-will-go-hungry/

[Figarosmom]

9. She's also blind and can't drive

So those food pantries would have to be within walking distance that a person who is blind can walk.

[JT45242]

16. Sometimes hard to get to

The getting to them during operation hours.

[obamanut2012]

29. Nope

[OGBuzz]

11. Should the "shining city on the hill" be allowing its citizens to starve? Or to lose their healthcare?

Anyone who still thinks Trump and the Epstein Class give a f*ck about the American people should give their head a really powerful shake. Maybe for the 1% yes, the remaining 99% not so much.

[LaRaven]

12. Thanks for posting. This is heartbreaking. Had me thinking about Meals On Wheels

March article from Forbes:

Critical food programs for older adults, such as Meals on Wheels, avoided major reductions in federal support when Congress finally approved a spending plan last month. But for the third year in a row, lawmakers froze funding for these efforts. And after taking into account rising costs and a growing population of frail older adults, no increase in funding inevitably will result in reduced services and increasing numbers of hungry seniors.

It is a little like someone who had two relatives move in with them but has not gotten a raise in three years. Yes, they still have a job. But it is a lot harder to feed everyone.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2026/03/03/the-meals-on-wheels-budget-wasnt-cut-but-more-seniors-will-go-hungry/

[BigmanPigman]

13. Stress from tRump made me go down to 81 pounds.

I ate the same stuff but when I'm super stressed my body freaks out. I quadrupled my caloric intake and gained 5 pounds back. My sister thought I was doing it on purpose, even my doctor didn't believe me 100% at first. That made me pissed off.

The fucking moron is a psychopathic sadist who gets off on destroying people and things, he is NOT a "builder", he's a "destroyer".

[Luz]

15. This guy. We live in a real small town, and trumps

cuts run deep. We do have a food pantry, but this guy makes life a little softer for some of our most needy.

?si=zqSadykHh8rZwKNi

[Maraya1969]

42. How do you find neighbors that need help? I live in a big middle class neighborhood and I have no idea

if anyone is hungry. I would gladly bring over food if I knew but I don't. Do you just go knocking on doors? I would be scared to do that.

We do have a big food pantry not far from here so maybe there is not a big problem. But like others said most people go there with cars.

[questionseverything]

46. Wow ty 4 sharing that, he is making a difference!

[LisaM]

17. This isn't about suggestions on how she can eat more.

It's about how she's pitifully low on food. She may also not be able to drive and may not be able to cook. She may not have cooking facilities.

My mother is in a care facility (she won't starve) and the thought was that she would be able to cook some meals for herself, with a microwave and stove at wheelchair height. However, some days she simply can't get into her wheelchair (she isn't paralyzed but is difficult to move).

Some of the solutions people are offering aren't practical. You can't eat legumes if you can't cook them.

[ColoringFool]

19. I'm Gobsmacked By Some Comments Bordering On Victim-Blaming. Yes,..

That's what I said.

Eat BEANS!

Get thee to your local food pantry!

Pick yourself up by your bootstraps!

🤬

[2MuchNoise]

23. Thank you.

[obamanut2012]

30. Seriously

Some comments are making me angry

[GenThePerservering]

41. I was lectured on another board by people without, I suspect ANY experience

that food deserts and hunger were a myth.

[2MuchNoise]

20. A comment or two in this thread...

Sounds a bit like some folks think this woman isn't doing everything she can to help herself.

[Initech]

24. The GOP has done literally NOTHING to improve our lives. NOTHING!

They all deserve to be fired and imprisoned for life.

[Ritabert]

26. They've made it much worse.

[Initech]

32. They're great for the billionaire class.

But those of us who have to work for a living, they suck.

[Ritabert]

38. Exactly.

[Lars39]

35. CSPAN should quickly and quietly track her down to get her help.

Not a one-time event either.

[whathehell]

39. I agree, and I think they will do that. n/t

[sl8]

43. Link to C-SPAN video:

February 26, 2026.

https://www.c-span.org/program/washington-journal/open-forum-part-2/674085

Sharon's call is at ~3:45 min..

[Swede]

44. Good find. I'll edit my OP and add this link.

Thank you.