WASHINGTON D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins appeared on FOX Business’s Mornings with Maria Wednesday morning, March 25, 2026, to announce a historic decline in federal food assistance enrollment, framing the shift as a major victory for the American taxpayer and the labor market.
Citing new official data from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Rollins confirmed that SNAP participation has plummeted by 3.3 million recipients since January 2025. This rapid decline has pushed the total number of recipients below 40 million for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“Since [the President] was sworn in, we moved 3.3M people off of food stamps, into work, and into a better life of dignity,” Rollins told host Maria Bartiromo. “Self-reliance is back. Let’s keep the wins coming!”
The Secretary emphasized that the reduction is not merely a statistical achievement but a result of a coordinated push to move families toward independence through enhanced skills training and job gains. She also used the live broadcast to address ongoing concerns regarding program integrity, identifying specific regions as focal points for enforcement.
“We’re making progress. We have a lot more to do,” Rollins said. “Obviously, Minnesota, California, and New York are ground zero for massive fraud, but we’re working on it, and I think we’re going to make great progress in the years to come.”
Rollins linked the success to the administration’s “pro-work” policies, which she argued are essential to “ending cash-for-votes schemes” and ensuring that public funds are reserved for the truly vulnerable. “We HAVE to protect the taxpayer,” she noted, highlighting a shift toward more stringent eligibility and oversight that aims to reverse years of what she described as “out of control” spending.
The announcement comes as the administration continues to face a complex economic landscape, including rising fertilizer costs and agricultural labor challenges, which Rollins also addressed during her appearance as part of a broader push for government accountability.
🚨Breaking News🚨
From @USDA_FNS: December 2025 SNAP data is official — 3.3 MILLION fewer recipients since January 2025.
We’re now BELOW 40 million total for the FIRST TIME since 2020.
This isn’t just numbers, we’re simultaneously helping families move toward independence… pic.twitter.com/iNKmttHGCo
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) March 25, 2026