Mike Epps has said he's "glad" there’s been a pause on food stamps — and he's taken some time to explain why.
During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, the 54-year-old comedian argued that government aid might be quietly harming the very people they’re meant to help.
"I told people when these food stamps and stuff get cut off, 'Don't worry about that,'" he said (around the 41-minute mark in the video above). "See, Black people, we've been getting our shit cut off. We've been getting our doors kicked in and stuff. This is not for us."
He continued: "So don't take this as personal about the food stamps and all that. I'm actually glad they're cutting some of these n***as off food stamps because some of us need to not be on food stamps because it's a trickle down effect."
Epps argued that the issue wasn't just about losing benefits but about how reliance on them can fuel unhealthy habits.
"You get the food stamps, then you go buy the food that gives you cancer, then you eat the food that gives you cancer, then you're sad, you're walking around here upset, your diet's fucked up," he said. "Now, I'm gonna tell you some honest God truth. Your diet done sent a lot of n***as to prison."
When Charlamagne Tha God joked that Epps' comments would end up on Fox News and lead to people calling him "MAGA Mike," Epps brushed it off.
"No, they can't say that about me. See, that's one thing about me and little Boosie Badazz: we can't be canceled." As Charlamagne laughed and predicted future backlash, Epps shot back, saying, "Fuck the internet! ... and everybody out there that think they wanna be mad and say something: fuck you, man."
The interview aired amid national news about the federal government restoring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
According to CBS News, President Trump signed a bill on Wednesday (November 12) to fund SNAP through September 2026, reinstating aid for nearly 42 million Americans. States were told benefits would resume "within 24 hours" after the shutdown ended, though the timing was expected to vary.