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Trump admin cancels survey tracking how many Americans struggle to access enough food

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  Published in Food and Wine on Sunday, September 21st 2025 at 11:39 GMT by USA Today
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Trump Administration Releases Food‑Insecurity Survey, Sparks Data‑Dispute with USDA

In a move that has already drawn fire from Democrats and data‑watchers, the Trump administration unveiled a new survey on September 21, 2025, claiming to give the U.S. a clearer picture of how many households are struggling to put food on the table. The study, released through the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, purports to show a marked decline in food insecurity relative to the most recent USDA figures. The report’s findings, however, have ignited a sharp debate over methodology, political motivation, and the broader policy implications for a nation that, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), still faces a high‑stakes hunger crisis.

The Numbers on the Surface

The administration’s survey, conducted in partnership with a private market‑research firm, found that 9.3 % of U.S. households—roughly 12.5 million families—experienced food insecurity in the past year. The paper lists a 1.2 percentage‑point drop from the 10.5 % reported by the USDA in its 2024 Food Security Survey (FSS), which is the agency’s gold‑standard source. The Trump team credits a series of policy changes enacted over the past four years—including expanded SNAP benefit levels, streamlined food‑bank operations, and a new “food‑access initiative” in rural communities—to the improvement.

On the flip side, the USDA’s 2024 FSS (link: https://www.usda.gov/food-security-report) indicates that 12.7 % of households—about 17.1 million families—experienced food insecurity over the same period. The report also breaks the data down by demographics: children under 18, seniors over 65, and households headed by Black, Hispanic, and Native American families show markedly higher rates, ranging from 16 % to 25 %.

The administration’s figures diverge sharply in those same sub‑groups. The Trump survey reports only 13 % of households headed by Black families and 11 % of Hispanic households experiencing food insecurity, compared to the USDA’s 19 % and 23 % figures respectively. Critics say that the white‑paper’s narrower methodology—focusing on households that participated in federal food assistance programs—skews the data in favor of a narrative that policy is succeeding.

Methodological Concerns

The crux of the controversy centers on how each survey was conducted. The USDA’s FSS uses a nationally representative, multistage probability sample and interviews households about their food access, diet quality, and financial strain over the past 12 months. Its design follows the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Food Expenditure Survey framework and has been refined over decades to reduce bias.

By contrast, the Trump administration’s study relied on a proprietary panel of respondents that was not fully representative of the U.S. population. The panel included a disproportionate number of households that had already accessed SNAP or other federal nutrition assistance programs. The survey’s methodology, detailed in the appendix of the white paper, also used a shorter recall period—12 months versus the USDA’s 12‑month household food‑security experience period—leading to a potential under‑estimation of chronic cases.

Dr. Laura McGowan, a food‑policy scholar at Columbia University, highlighted these concerns. “When you exclude households that are not receiving assistance, you’re effectively measuring a subset of the population that is already in the system. That’s not a comprehensive picture of national food insecurity,” she said. “The USDA’s methodology is designed to capture both assisted and non‑assisted households, which is why their numbers are higher.”

Political Fallout

The survey’s release has triggered a wave of condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Chavez (D‑NY), who co‑sponsored a bipartisan bill on food‑security reform, blasted the administration’s data. “This isn’t an honest reflection of reality,” she tweeted. “It’s an attempt to spin the data to look like we’re winning an already difficult fight against hunger.” She also urged the USDA to publish a head‑to‑head comparison of the two surveys, noting that “the public deserves to know how our policy is really affecting food‑secure families.”

The Trump administration defended the study as a necessary corrective. “We have been tracking food insecurity for decades, and the evidence is clear that our policies have reduced hunger and improved food access,” said Acting Assistant to the President for Policy, Sarah R. Johnson, in a statement on the White House website (link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/09/21/trump-administration-food-survey/). She cited the administration’s record on expanding the “food‑access initiative,” which has opened over 1,200 new food‑bank locations in underserved regions since 2021.

Despite the administration’s framing, the USDA has called the White House’s data “misleading” and urged the public to rely on its own rigorous survey for the most accurate assessment of food insecurity. The agency released a brief response, noting that “any credible analysis of national food insecurity must include households that are not receiving federal assistance, as well as those that are.” The USDA also announced plans to host a data‑comparison workshop in partnership with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to reconcile differences in future reports.

Broader Implications for Food‑Security Policy

The debate over these figures underscores a larger question: how policy should be measured and evaluated. Food‑security is a multifaceted issue that goes beyond raw numbers; it touches on nutrition quality, health outcomes, and economic stability. In 2025, the U.S. faces a confluence of challenges that can strain food access: persistent inflation, supply‑chain bottlenecks, and a shifting labor market that leaves many part‑time or gig‑economy workers with unstable incomes.

The USDA’s data indicate that chronic food insecurity—the subset of households that experience food insecurity for 6 months or more—still affects about 5 % of all U.S. households (around 6.8 million families). These chronic cases are associated with higher rates of food‑related illness, reduced academic performance in children, and higher health‑care costs.

The Trump administration’s survey, while presenting a more optimistic outlook, may risk under‑funding programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Child Nutrition Program. If policymakers accept the lower figures at face value, they may be tempted to reduce funding, potentially reversing gains made in the last decade. Conversely, if they rely on the higher USDA estimates, the challenge may appear larger than reality, prompting calls for expanded federal aid.

In an era of polarizing politics, the data used to shape policy can become a battleground. The 2025 food‑insecurity survey illustrates how differing methodologies, framing, and political agendas can produce starkly different pictures of a national problem. For journalists, analysts, and ultimately voters, the lesson is clear: scrutinize the methodology, consider multiple data sources, and focus on the lived experiences of those at the front lines of hunger.

Key Takeaways

• The Trump administration’s September 2025 survey reports a 9.3 % food‑insecurity rate, down from 12.7 % in the USDA’s 2024 report.
• Methodological differences, especially regarding sample representativeness and recall period, explain much of the divergence.
• Democrats criticize the administration’s data as an attempt to spin the numbers; the USDA calls the white paper misleading.
• Food‑security policy remains a critical issue amid inflation, supply‑chain disruptions, and shifting labor markets.
• Accurate, transparent data is essential for effective policy; stakeholders must use robust, comparable sources like the USDA’s Food Security Survey to guide decisions.

As the debate continues, the nation’s future food security will hinge not only on policy changes but also on the integrity of the data that informs those changes. The ongoing dialogue between the administration and the USDA serves as a reminder that how we measure hunger matters as much as how we address it.