"A taste of their own medicine": Blue states go digital against Trump's shutdown

Source: Salon

Published November 1, 2025 1:30PM (EDT)


As the federal government shutdown continues, Democratic-leaning states are turning state-run websites and online resources into a platform to push back against the Trump administration, and the SNAP freeze is at the center of the effort.

Massachusetts’ SNAP page informs residents at the top of their SNAP page that President Trump has frozen November benefits, affecting all who rely on the program. New York warns that November SNAP benefits and Home Energy Assistance Program applications are delayed due to the federal funding lapse, urging citizens to contact Congress about the impact. Illinois released a rather strong statement putting the reason for the shutdown and SNAP benefits cut is Trump’s administration.

Pennsylvania posted their own statement nearly echoing some of the federal government’s format: “Because Republicans in Washington D.C., failed to pass a federal budget, causing the federal government shutdown, November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid.”

What makes these announcements notable is their tone and timing. Many federal government websites and social media accounts have blamed Democrats for the shutdown, but Democratic states are using their platforms to highlight the human consequences of the impasse, effectively holding the Trump administration accountable in plain sight. The messaging is straightforward, factual, and just slightly cheeky — a digital “taste of their own medicine.”

Read more: https://www.salon.com/2025/11/01/a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-blue-states-go-digital-against-trumps-shutdown/