During the 2025 U.S. government shutdown, as SNAP benefits for millions of Americans were at risk, some online claims suggested Vice President JD Vance personally relied on food stamps as a child.
What is known from public sources:
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In his memoir Hillbilly Elegy and interviews, Vance states that members of his family, including his mother and grandmother, received government assistance. His grandmother used Social Security and old-age benefits, which indirectly helped support him.
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Vance has criticized misuse of food stamps and welfare in his book, contrasting his own family’s experiences with what he viewed as abuses of the system.
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He has not explicitly said that he personally received food stamps as a child.
Notable quotes:
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“I never went hungry, thanks at least in part to the old-age benefits that Mamaw generously shared with me.” (Hillbilly Elegy, pg. 412)
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“The 1960s approach to welfare… prevented a lot of suffering, and made it possible for people like Mamaw to access food and medicine when they were too poor, too old, or too sick to buy it themselves.” (pg. 437)
Key points:
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Vance acknowledges that family members relied on government programs, but there’s no public confirmation he personally received SNAP or other food assistance.
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His office declined to comment on the exact nature of the aid or whether he was a recipient himself.
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Online claims about hypocrisy are based on the fact that he criticized welfare while benefiting indirectly through his family.
Conclusion:
JD Vance’s family did receive government assistance, but it’s unclear whether he personally did. His statements emphasize his conservative viewpoint while acknowledging that such programs alleviated hardship for his family.
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