Across the globe, the tension between social protection and rising right-wing populism has reached a boiling point, with recent events in the United States and Europe underscoring the profound consequences of economic policy decisions. Nowhere is this more visible than in the United States, where a looming federal government shutdown threatens to disrupt the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), leaving millions of Americans at risk of hunger and exposing the fragility of the nation’s social safety net.
In Virginia, the anxiety is palpable. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, over 854,000 Virginians received SNAP benefits in September 2025, including more than 172,000 in Central Virginia alone. Yet, as reported by CBS 6 and corroborated by Politico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a directive on October 10 instructing states to pause November SNAP payments until further notice. This move, prompted by the ongoing federal government shutdown, has sent shockwaves through local communities and social service agencies.
Local agencies in Powhatan and Henrico counties wasted no time in alerting residents to the possibility of delayed benefits. For many families, SNAP is not just a supplement but a lifeline. During a news conference on October 22, Eddie Oliver, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, painted a stark picture: “We are surging resources to our network of pantries. We want folks to reach out to a local pantry if you are in need of assistance, but we are certainly not confident that we're going to be able to meet the demand that would occur if SNAP benefits do not go out on time next month.”
Oliver emphasized the scale of the challenge: “We are collectively Virginia's largest charitable response to hunger. We cannot do what we do without strong federal nutrition programs. For every meal that food banks distribute, SNAP provides nine. There is simply no way that we can make up significant gaps or losses to that program.”
Families who depend on SNAP echoed these concerns. Lakisha Cain, a Richmond resident, shared her uncle’s predicament: “He's in the process of applying for disability, but that can take a long time. So, SNAP has been his only source of income. It at least means he can have food.” For many, delays or cuts to benefits are not merely an inconvenience—they threaten basic survival.
The political stakes are high. Advocates and Democratic lawmakers have urged the USDA to deploy a $6 billion contingency fund mandated by law to cover SNAP funding shortfalls. However, as CNN reports, the full cost of November benefits is closer to $8 billion, raising concerns that the contingency fund may fall short of what’s needed to prevent widespread hardship.
Virginia’s political leaders have responded along party lines. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin voiced concern about the potential lapse in SNAP benefits, but expressed faith in the Trump administration’s ability to find a solution. “I know the Trump administration's been working hard to try to figure this out. They figured out how to fund our military, they've now figured out how to fund law enforcement -- at least for a little while,” Youngkin said during an October 22 news conference. “The size of the SNAP benefit program is a real challenge and I know if there's a way to do it they're going to figure it out.”
Youngkin also placed the blame squarely on Democrats, arguing, “I just think that this idea that Senate Democrats are holding Americans and Virginians hostage is really, really unfair.” He called on Virginia’s two Democratic Senators to vote to reopen the government, pointing to the Republican-controlled House’s passage of a stopgap measure that, he said, needed Democratic support in the Senate.
Democrats, for their part, have pushed back forcefully. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine issued a joint statement on October 22, asserting: “Earlier this summer, Republicans slashed basic nutrition benefits in order to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra wealthy. Now, despite having control over the White House and both branches of Congress, they’re again leaving needy families and children in the lurch by keeping the government shuttered and refusing to come to the negotiating table. We’re going to keep doing everything in our power to prevent families from going hungry, including working with USDA to keep SNAP benefits flowing as long as possible.”
This deadlock in Washington is more than a local crisis; it’s part of a broader international trend. According to a recent United Nations report highlighted by CNN, reductions in social protection spending create a “fertile ground” for the growth of right-wing movements worldwide. The report connects the dots between economic insecurity, alienation from mainstream politics, and the rise of populist leaders.
Europe offers a cautionary tale. In 2022, Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s most right-wing leader since Benito Mussolini, while the ultra-right Alternative for Germany bloc rose to become the country’s largest opposition party. In Argentina, the ultra-right libertarian Javier Milei’s victory in 2023 echoed this global shift. The United Nations report found that changes to social protection systems—tightening eligibility requirements or introducing stricter conditions—breed economic instability and alienation, paving the way for populist leaders who claim to defend those “left behind by the elites.”
The report is unequivocal: “These punitive social protection systems increase economic instability, undermine trust in public institutions, and leave millions of people feeling humiliated and abandoned by mainstream politics.” It goes on to warn, “It is in this vacuum that right-wing populists thrive, presenting themselves as defenders of those left behind by the ‘elites’.”
Perhaps most damning is the report’s assessment of policy priorities: “Their program is not designed to provide people living in poverty with full opportunities—it is designed to further destroy protection for their own gain.” The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is cited as an example, featuring historic cuts to U.S. social welfare programs like Medicaid and food stamps, while lowering taxes—a combination that, the report argues, results in a “massive redistribution” of resources from the poorest households to the wealthiest.
Statistical evidence backs up these claims. The UN report cites an “almost perfect correlation” between income inequality and support for populist parties. European social surveys reveal that 25% of unemployed people receiving the lowest benefits support the ultra-right, compared with 15% among those who are employed. Conversely, higher pension levels, larger child benefits, and a minimum wage are shown to reduce the likelihood of voting for the far right.
“Thousands of people living in poverty I speak with say they are stigmatized and controlled more than they are supported,” the report’s authors note. They urge governments to treat social protection as a human right and to adopt targeted measures to reduce economic vulnerability, warning that failure to do so will allow right-wing populists to “continue to reap the fruits of what has been sown.”
The current crisis is a stark reminder that the stakes of social protection policy reach far beyond budget spreadsheets—they touch the core of democratic stability and social cohesion. As families and food banks brace for the fallout of delayed SNAP benefits, the world watches to see whether American leaders will heed the warnings of history and the counsel of international experts.