Newt Gingrich’s claim that President Obama is the “best food stamp president in America’s history” has been the topic of discussion for the past few weeks. Not just because Gingrich is playing to the racial stereotypes implied by the statement, but also because his claim is simply not true. And it was just a matter of time before it was fact checked.
Well, it was checked, and here are the facts as they stands now.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition service tracks month-to-month figures dating back to January 2001. The numbers show that the total of food stamp recipients rose to 14.2 million during President Obama’s administration.
The highest in history so far is President George W. Bush. The number of food stamp recipients grew to nearly 14.7 million while he was in office. But, that’s eight years in office, compared to President Obama who has not finished his first term.
The Ag Department’s information also shows that 444,574 fewer recipients have signed up for food stamps under Obama’s watch, than under Bush.
