During the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson launched his “War on Poverty” to fix social issues in economically disadvantaged communities. Decades later, President Donald Trump has enacted his own policies that target low-income Americans. Yet, his efforts seek to weaken and abolish welfare programs that often act as safety nets to financially vulnerable populations. So what does a “War on Poverty” mean in Trump’s America?
Recent headlines have been filled with stories about funding cuts to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing assistance and other social programs. These reductions disproportionately impact low-income Americans, particularly rural voters who supported Trump during the 2024 election. Many poor white Americans who voted for Trump believed that these policies would target Black and Brown communities, not themselves. Yet, data has reflected that this is not true. The racial prejudice of Trump’s voters has caused them to become blind to economic inequality. The Trump administration’s attempts to actively worsen the conditions of citizens and increase the wealth of the elite have already had detrimental impacts on Americans.
As a college student from a low-income background, this issue feels especially personal. Programs like SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance are not just policies; they are resources people rely on to survive and pursue a better future. Seeing these support programs threatened makes me realize how easily people overlook the deeper impact these decisions have on families and individuals. Economic struggles are so often dismissed or painted negatively by the media and political leaders, rather than reflecting the true challenges people are facing.
The Big Beautiful Ugly Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, after being passed by both the House and the Senate. The bill centers around economic changes, cutting social programs and even affecting federal grants to university students. While the bill included many cuts to federal programs, it also increased military spending. This bill gave the Pentagon a surplus of $156 billion for war and weapons, and simultaneously increased overall war spending by $1 trillion. OBBBA also added a $170 billion budget increase to the Department of Homeland Security to expand mass deportation rates, and it provided $45 billion dollars to expand immigration detention centers.
Tax Increases
One of the key components of this law is to increase taxes for individuals who make $96,000 a year or less, despite giving multi-millionaires massive tax cuts. It is no secret that many Americans are already feeling the weight of these efforts; in a poll conducted by The Politico Poll, nearly half of Americans are struggling to afford their basic necessities. Forcing low-income households to pay more in taxes only causes them to go without things like groceries, utilities or other vital services. While there were some tax cuts that did target the working class, such as no tax on tips, these changes are only temporary, with an end date after 2028. However, the bill’s tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations are permanent.
Increased Healthcare Costs
One of the most notable changes the One Big Beautiful Bill enacts is the cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts are estimated to result in 51,000 preventable deaths each year. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that these price increases will cause the number of uninsured people to grow to more than 14 million in 2034. Many low-income families heavily rely on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to receive life-saving care. Trump cutting the funding or adding extra qualification requirements for these programs further solidifies his motives to wage war on the impoverished.
SNAP Cuts
OBBA will cause four million people to lose their food assistance benefits, have them terminated or greatly decreased. Currently, SNAP is responsible for helping 40 million Americans afford food. The Trump administration also added new requirements to SNAP, which will make it much less accessible to the elderly, veterans, unhoused and even youth. Who are these changes serving?
After thinking about these policy changes, I reflect on how different my life might look if I did not have access to these support systems during my childhood. As a low-income college student, I am constantly forced to balance financial stress with academic responsibilities, and even small policy shifts have a major effect on my ability to stay in school. Decisions made at the federal level are not distant; instead they directly shape the future of students or working individuals like me.
These are only a few of the endless changes Trump has enacted that target the economically disadvantaged and increase the wealth of the rich. These policy changes represent a significant shift in federal priorities. Rather than spending tax dollars on war, the billions of dollars sent to DHS and the Pentagon could have expanded welfare organizations and helped ensure that each citizen has the opportunity to thrive. These changes reflect a deeper issue within the current administration: their desire to keep the poor poor and fill the elites’ pockets.