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Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Social Media, Politics, US News
Madison Burgess
Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Social Media, Politics, US News
Donald Trump is facing backlash online over his latest move, with people branding the Republican leader as a 'hypocrite'.
The American president, 79, signed an executive order on Thursday (13 November) to create a 'Fostering the Future' program, which is being spearheaded by his wife, First Lady Melania Trump.
The new directive is described as 'uniting federal resources with innovative public and private-sector partnerships to provide more pathways to success for young people who have experienced foster care'.
Essentially, it's an order to help develop opportunities for children raised in foster care.
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The plan includes the creation an online hub that would connect people in the community with key career and educational resources, while also promising to increase access to vouchers and grants to support them.
In his speech at the White House, the US president used the Bible to explain how important it is for society to care for vulnerable children.
He said: "The Bible tells us that one of the measures of any society is how it cares for vulnerable children and orphans. So important and it is so big in the Bible."
While it all sounds well and good, it's Trump's previous actions that have caused the social media stir.
The remarks come just after Trump spent weeks fighting in court to stop payments to SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - which stops millions of children in the UD from going hungry.
As per the BBC, 42 million Americans who rely on the food aid service began receiving just partial benefits this month due to the US government shutdown.
However, a federal judge stepped in and ordered the administration to fully fund the programme so some states have already started issuing the full benefits.
But the US Department of Agriculture directed states to stop paying out 100 percent of November's benefits and to get back any funds they have already distributed above 65 percent.
"States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025,
It read: "States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025."
And on Tuesday (11 November), the Supreme Court extended a short-term order that allows the Trump administration to withhold paying for full food stamp payments
Understandably, some people have taken issue with the stark contrast between this and the new executive order, taking to social media to point out the 'hypocrisy'.
One Twitter user wrote: "Didn’t he just go to court to keep kids from getting food assistance?" while a second added: "He went all the way to the Supreme Court to make sure 16 million hungry children couldn’t eat."
Another chimed in with: "The hypocrisy is stunning."
Someone else brutally wrote: "Being a hypocrite and liar again," while another social media user added: "is speech writers are either as ignorant as he is or they're intentionally trying to humiliate him."
"Quoting the Bible on caring for orphans while your shutdown slashed food for 20 million kids? That's not leadership, Trump, it's just the latest verse in your hypocrisy hymn," added a final critic.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "Democrats’ decision to shut down the government for 41 days caused tremendous suffering for everyday Americans. The President worked tirelessly to reduce the pain caused by Democrats, including by using tariff revenue to fund WIC, and looks forward to helping families across the country thrive now that the government has reopened."