In a bold and unprecedented move, the Trump administration is launching a nationwide initiative to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by eliminating junk food and sugary drinks from food stamp purchases.
Speaking at a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins touted what she called a “historic transformation” of a federal program long criticized for allowing taxpayer dollars to fund unhealthy eating habits.
“This has never been done before — not by any Republican or Democrat administration,” Rollins said, energized by the momentum. “We’re making history by removing junk food from the food stamp system and putting nutrition back at the center of SNAP.”
Rollins’ remarks came as the MAHA Commission, a Trump-era initiative focused on reducing childhood chronic diseases, released a 69-page report detailing how federal and state leaders can reduce obesity, diabetes, and heart disease among youth.
At the heart of this push is a wave of federal waivers, already approved for Nebraska, Indiana, and Iowa, allowing states to restrict the types of food that can be purchased with SNAP benefits. Nebraska was the first to sign on, with Republican Governor Jim Pillen finalizing the agreement Monday. The waiver will kick off as a two-year pilot program, banning soda, candy, and other high-sugar, low-nutrition items.
Other GOP-led states — including Texas and West Virginia — are lining up behind the effort. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in a letter to Rollins last week, emphasized the principle behind the policy: “SNAP was created to increase access to nutritious food; however, many SNAP purchases are for food with little to no nutritious value.”
“Under the Trump administration, states can finally take the lead in restoring integrity to the program and ensuring it fulfills its original purpose,” Abbott added.
According to the MAHA report, more than 42 million Americans rely on food stamps each month, including 1 in 5 children under the age of 17.
In West Virginia, Governor Patrick Morrisey has emerged as one of the most active leaders in the movement. He not only requested a SNAP waiver but also signed House Bill 2354 in March — a landmark law banning certain synthetic dyes and food additives in products sold within the state, becoming the first in the nation to do so.
The MAHA initiative is part of former President Trump’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, which seeks to reimagine public health through personal responsibility, state-level reform, and policy-driven change. The SNAP junk food ban represents one of the most concrete steps in this agenda — and one that is already gaining traction across red states.
As Rollins put it: “We are finally aligning our food assistance programs with our values — and with common sense. Healthy food, healthy kids, healthy America.”
