Donald Trump: The First President in History to Use Food as a Weapon

Mindf*ck Monday | October 27, 2025

Donald Trump: The First President in History to Use Food as a Weapon

Because the news should come with a trigger warning.

In this episode, Christi Chanelle exposes how America’s food pipeline is being leveraged as a political weapon. From the government shutdown threatening SNAP benefits to ICE raids in New York and the eerie silence from those in power — this one hits home.

This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s preparation. It’s awareness. It’s the wake-up call we all needed.

Call to Action:
→ Donate before November 1st and again after the holidays.
→ Visit FeedingAmerica.org
, call 2-1-1, or connect with your local food bank.
→ Support your neighbors, your community, and The Chain at ActivistChain.com
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🎙️ Host: Christi Chanelle
📧 Email: Christi@ActivistChain.com

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The Colony, TX 75056

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Next Week’s Episode — November 3, 2025

🎧 Women, Wellness & Politics — It’s a Girl’s Day!
Join me and Victoria Kirby Wellness for a deep, honest conversation about midlife, menopause, and the political climate women are navigating right now.
Grab your coffee, your girlfriends, and tune in — this one’s for us.

Disclaimer:
This content includes satirical commentary, altered media, and opinion-based analysis intended for educational, entertainment, and advocacy purposes. Any recreated clips, quotes, or imagery are political or cultural critique—not factual representations. Viewer discretion and independent research are encouraged.

Would you like me to make a matching YouTube description version (optimized for SEO, without hashtags,

Chapters

• 0:00 Raw Opening And Homeland Ties
• 5:20 New York Memories And Identity
• 10:30 From Personal To Political Stakes
• 14:45 White House Oversight And Erosion
• 19:00 Shutdown Timeline And SNAP Risk

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

I just had a complete meltdown. I was reading the script that I had just written, and as I was reading it, I just began to like ball. But it hit differently. Because that's home. My breath. I thought I wasn't gonna cry this episode. But it's home, you know. Um, I you know, everything that's going on in New York has really hit home. It's personal for me, and I'm I'm raging. I'm raging on the inside, and I think it just needed an outlet. Um, don't fuck with my hometown, man. Don't don't do it. I'm Christy Chanel. And this is sassy politics. It it feels like the floor is moving under our feet. Rights are being rolled back, fear is being weaponized, people shrug, change the channel, check off their protest box, and they call it a day. I want you to know, I'm not here to fear monger. That is the last thing I want to do. But I am here to shake you awake. Because this is no longer theoretical. It's not what if. It's happening now. If we don't prepare, if we don't show up for each other, the people who engineered this, all of this chaos, they win. Period. I'm gonna try to get through this part of the script again without crying. Um, and uh, so let's see how I do. I I hope I got it all out the first time. Now I'm actually recording it. So I grew up in New Jersey and spent a lot of time in New York. We were like 45 minutes from New York. I I even skipped school with a bunch of my friends and we jumped on the train. It was my first time being on a train as a, I guess I was 17 at the time, um, with my friends. And we went there and we were complete idiots with with some of our decisions, but I have no regrets. I have no regrets. Here I am all these years later, remembering it with fondness. We spent a day in New York and it was just a freedom. There was a freedom about it, you know? And uh, yeah. I I don't know if I would trust my kids to do that these days, but back then, it was cool. It was really, really cool. I love New York, and I love New Jersey. To me, they're one and the same. Yes, they're different, but just it's just hard to explain. They're very close together. The NFLs even play in New Jersey, even though it's the New York Giants. They play in New Jersey, like we're very closely tied together. There are some differences, don't get me wrong, but you mess with one of them, and I feel the exact same way. I saw my first Broadway show there, and even now, just saying it, I can remember the lights and the smell and the honking of the horns and the and the people trying to clean the windshield uh and wanting a tip. Like all of those things are so New York. Women in their sneakers because they walk everywhere, but yet they have this business attire on. That's what it was like growing up and seeing all of that. It was the hustle and bustle of New York, it was the career woman. It was sex in the city, it was all of it. And just saying it brings up the rush of color, the rush of sound, and the rush of life. That melting pot of people just trying to make it. Because as the song goes, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. And it's about having a dream, being free. All of those things come together for New York City. So when I saw videos of street vendors being harassed by ice, dragged, shouted at, terrified, it stirred something in me I knew was there, but it hit differently. Because that's home. That's home. My best friend Lori still lives in New Jersey. She's in the city all the time. I see con she's she loves to take pictures, so I see beautiful pictures that she takes all the time. And when and when I see this hitting so close to home, I quietly rage. That's why this episode is here. Because normally you'd get a breakdown. Headlines, court dates, political analysis. But this one, this one's personal. Today we're drawing a line from then to now. We're uncovering what's really happening behind the scenes, how we got here, and most importantly, what can we do right now? If you think this is just about politics, you're missing the point. Completely missing the point. I just have a feeling if you're here on my channel or in my podcast listening, you get it. Right? You get it. That's why you're here. You get it. But there are some new people here. And maybe you don't. And I'm here to help you understand just a little bit more than you did yesterday. And if I've done that, then I know I'm doing my job. And this is a job that I choose to have. Nobody's paying me to do this. I do this because I love it. I do this because it's important. And I do this because I'm here to serve you. Decades ago, the rights many of us take for granted were won by people who stayed long after the cameras packed up. Progress came from consistency, not convenience. Fast forward to today, those rights are being unraveled. Each rollback feels small until you step back and see the pattern. Even the White House East Wing. Yes, the people's house is being demolished. Actually, it has. By the time of this being edited, it's it's gone. I've seen pictures. It's gone. And it's gone because of a 90,000 square foot ballroom. The problem is, well, there's a there's a lot of problems with this actually, but the biggest problem I have is it construction moved forward before oversight agencies could even finish the review. Because those agencies call it a coincidence if you'd like, but their arms were behind their back and they were tied and they couldn't do anything because of the shutdown. It's not just about bricks and permits, it's symbolic. The foundation is literally being torn down while the roof still claims to protect us. I've worked on historic sites, historic buildings. The Statler Building in downtown Dallas was a property that I had the pleasure of being a part of the renovations. It was um a roofing project. And and I saw all of the ways that we needed to make sure that this historic building was respected. The community loves this building, it needed to be respected properly, and there are people and organizations in place to make sure that that happens. So that's why I was really surprised. I was like, so the Statler building has more red tape, so to speak, than the White House. A living, breathing museum. What did I miss? Like, what did I miss? To me, this represents something much deeper. Much deeper. Why did somebody feel like they could just do that? What's really happening? Let's talk about what's really going on. The federal shutdown started October 1st, 2025, and today marks day 25. States are warning that November Snap benefits won't be issued. If Congress doesn't act by October 27th, the day this episode is being released. On October 27th, if you're listening to this and the government hasn't opened back up, children, families will be without SNAP benefits for the month of November. Yeah, that includes Thanksgiving. I hope that you really understand the depth of that. There are people that don't even eat dinner. Like parents are going to bed early so that they don't have to feel the rumblings in their stomach, so that their kids and their family will eat. They've chosen a meal that they are eating in the daytime just so they can make it through work. I've seen it. I've heard about it. And these families with the snap benefits are having to do this. You take those benefits away, and you have just cut off somebody's fucking arm. I am not kidding. You they they lump everybody together like these lazy Americans. These lazy people get a job. They have jobs. They have jobs. How can you be so cruel? Are you serious? Do a little research, man. Families counting on Thanksgiving groceries are starting to empty EBT balances. And the USDA says it won't use contingency funds. It won't use contingency funds. Do you know what that means? Contingency means a savings account. Money that's set aside that is like a safety net. They won't use their security funds, their safety net, their contingency funds. Wow. Food banks across the country, from New York to North Texas, are bracing for a surge. Volunteers can't replace federal infrastructure. This isn't a hiccup. It's a crisis. In New York City's Chinatown, ICE conducted a major raid on Canal Street. Dozens of agents, vendors running, by standards crying. This is the part that actually made me have a breakdown earlier. Four U.S. citizens were detained nearly 24 hours and released without charges. I would like for people to reflect back when they said that this is to get the criminals out of the United States. They detained four U.S. citizens for nearly 24 hours and they were released without charges. That doesn't sound like criminals to me. The New York Attorney General even launched a public portal for people to upload footage because you need to be documenting this. You've heard of war crimes before, right? Where people think they're protected. And they go and they do these heinous acts against civilians and think, I'm protected. Didn't it happen in another country? I think it did. I don't even think I have to say it for you to know what and where I'm talking about. So I want you to feel at least a small bit of comfort to know there will be justice. It may not be right away. We're gonna have to go through a lot of hardships to get there, but there will be justice. And that's why they need to document everything. These portals are important. Document, document, document. If you leave this episode with anything, it's to document everything you see. These actions aren't isolated, they're synchronized. Take away food assistance, it creates panic. Escalate enforcement, it creates fear. Combine them together, and you control behavior. It's all about control. Everything is calculated. Start to put the pieces together. This hits hardest where stability is already fragile. Single moms like myself, caregivers, working class families, immigrants, the elderly. These are the people who stretch a dollar until it begs for mercy. And now even that dollar is being taken away. For women, this isn't abstract. Food insecurity, child care costs, health care gaps, they all landed our feet first. And while the privileged call it politics, others are quietly deciding which meal they can skip. I wasn't in New York when this happened, but watching it from afar felt like watching someone break into my childhood home. It's that visceral. That personal. And I know I'm not the only one feeling it. I have a stepdad that lives in Portland. I feel it every time I see it. Okay. Let's channel all of that emotion into action. All right? Action one. Support food banks before November 1st. Go to feedingamerica.org to find your local food bank. Call 211 or visit 211.org for emergency food help or volunteer information. If you're in North Texas, the North Texas Food Bank needs donations and volunteers right now. Don't wait for the holiday surge. The need spikes before Thanksgiving and stays high after it. Action two, document and stay informed. We talked about it earlier in the episode. New Yorkers use the AG's portal to report ICE activity safely. Everywhere else, record responsibly and connect with legal aid coalitions. Action three, join the chain. We already have the structure. I just need the people. Logistic leads, mutual aid captains, and regional connectors. If you feel that tug in your gut, that's your cue. Step in. There is a role waiting for you. Listen, help doesn't live in hashtags. It lives in neighbors. In grocery trunks filled for strangers, in three hours spent sorting cans when nobody's filming. The shutdown began October 1st. Today is October 25th. We're still frozen in political theater. While millions wonder if they'll eat next week. This is a red alert. If nothing changes by October 27th, today, the day that you're listening to this episode, Snap loads vanish. That's not politics. That's hunger. In New York, people took to the streets. Four U.S. citizens detained and released without charges after an ice raid that never should have happened. Their courage matters because it shows us what standing up looks like. I've never been prouder. I'm proud at all the protests. I'm proud at everybody that's standing outside the ICE detention centers, holding their ground against violence. These motherfuckers can't even pass a physical fitness test. Seriously, and they're given military grade equipment. So here's what I need from you tonight. If you can give money, give. If you can't give money, give time. If you can't give time, share this message. Program 211 into your phone. Share it with three people who might need it. If you're in North Texas, NTFB needs you. If you're in New York City, stand with your neighbors and document what's happening. Because we don't wait for the cameras. We don't wait for permission to be decent. We show up before Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving, and on random Wednesdays when nobody else does. I'm Christy Chanel. I need you. And I'm in this with you. I have more hope today because you're here listening. Now let's turn words into action.