It appears even military personnel are reeling from the effects of the recent government shutdown under the Trump administration. As the federal government shutdown enters its 10th day, food banks across Texas, and in other places, have encountered a dramatic change, with people now lining up for over two hours, many of them dressed in military uniforms. The federal government shutdown meant that certain military departments were not receiving their paychecks, leaving them to rely on food banks.
The particular change in the food bank crowd was most notable in Harker Heights, Texas. According to the food banks in the area, people are now waiting longer due to the volume of the crowd, with the food supply, which usually runs out in the afternoon, now usually running out at 10:30 AM. Scripps News agency even checked on one of these food banks back during the 9th day of the federal shutdown to reveal the crowd’s demographics:
Data from Military.com also confirms that food pantry and food bank visits from military members and military families have risen by at least 30 percent ever since the federal shutdown began back on October 1. For the record, this shutdown and its subsequent negotiations have led to Trump and other Republican leaders denying back pay to roughly 75,000 federal workers, which unfortunately includes military personnel.
“Starting last week at our normal food operations, we saw an increase in demand. As a result, we ran out of food a little more quickly than normal. We had about a 34% increase in Killeen, Texas, which was the first sort of food distribution after the shutdown happened,” according to Dorene Ocamb of Armed Services YMCA, transcript courtesy of Millitary.com.
The majority of military voters voted for Trump
Armed Services YMCA has also encouraged military personnel to take advantage of other types of food stamps and assistance services to minimize the financial difficulties incurred during the federal shutdown. While the YMCA has planned for the shutdown, they also admitted that they might need more food and resources to keep struggling Americans fed.
However, a certain crowd online has mocked some of the military personnel, especially those waiting in food banks, as many of them might have voted for Donald Trump. 65 percent of veterans, for reference, voted for Trump, with only 34 percent of them voting for Harris. People online have since mocked this kind of cause-and-effect, “Are we great yet?” says a Reddit user in the video’s comment section.
“I wonder how many voted for the con man. Down vote away, but sometimes people don’t regret their vote until it personally affects them,” questions another commenter, while another points out that, “All these videos of ice members abducting people daily and yet the military are on the poverty line. Such a great country. Something you’d see in a 3rd world country.” Meanwhile, ICE has received hundreds of billions in funding this year.
