On Saturday, Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania voiced his disapproval of the government shutdown’s repercussions, particularly highlighting the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November. He labeled these effects as “wrong.”

In a conversation with Lara Trump on Fox News’s “My View,” Fetterman expressed his indifference to the political party responsible for the shutdown, stating, “it’s always wrong, and here we are.”

Fetterman recalled leading efforts in March to secure enough votes to prevent a government closure. He mentioned facing criticism for his actions but stood by his decision, asserting, “that’s the right thing.” Upon returning in October, he maintained his stance, emphasizing that a shutdown is invariably wrong.

He also called for bipartisan talks to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits before their expiration at the year’s end, insisting these discussions should only take place if the government remains operational.

Fetterman concluded by acknowledging that while the pursuit of a noble goal is commendable, employing a government shutdown as a strategy is misguided, and he could never support such an approach.

The Pennsylvania Democrat also told Lara Trump, President Trump’s daughter-in-law and the former co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), that he refused to shut down the government “and risk food insecurity to 42 million Americans, whether it’s red or blue counties.”

“Republicans and Democrats get hungry, and they need these [SNAP benefits] and they deserve these kinds of support,” he said. “And I refuse to engage in bad political theater. I think that’s a betrayal of one of our core responsibilities.”

At one point during the interview, he called Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.C.) “an honorable man.”

Due to the shutdown, Americans who rely on SNAP benefits will no longer receive them until the government reopens.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Friday that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not have enough money in its emergency fund reserved for emergencies like natural disasters, and said the department was legally prohibited from using that fund.

However, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to pay for the SNAP benefits. Trump himself indicated that he would fund SNAP, except that the benefits would be delayed for the month of November.

“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” he continued. “Therefore, I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”