Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian expose how two federal judges—John McConnell in Rhode Island and Indira Talwani in Massachusetts—ordered the Trump administration to release SNAP benefits held hostage during the government shutdown. The hosts reveal how 42 million Americans, representing one in eight people, depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with two-thirds being children, elderly, or people with disabilities. They detail how over 51% of SNAP recipients live in Trump states, with almost 10% from Texas alone, while families with children in red states are disproportionately affected. The attorneys expose how Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins falsely blamed “thousands of illegal aliens” for using SNAP despite the USDA’s own audit finding zero undocumented recipients. Judge McConnell ruled the suspension caused “irreparable harm” and ordered full benefits be released by November 3rd, recognizing that stopping payments would harm children and the economy—forcing the government to feed its own citizens after Trump tried using food assistance as a political weapon.