Going Hungry in Trump’s Economy

Driving through Arizona on a Saturday morning, long lines of cars stretched nearly a mile along a desolate highway. The drivers were not involved in an accident; instead, they had come for food. Weeks later, the reporter met Kandy Soto, a retired administrative aide and courtroom clerk. Soto, who had once donated to a local food bank, now relied on others' generosity to fill bags with groceries for her family.

She explained that the cost of canned vegetables had steadily increased, making it difficult to afford beef or poultry. Soto had once supported Donald Trump’s promise to make America affordable again, but she saw no signs of that economy in her life. Her husband, injured and unable to work, and the couple's modest retirement income had made them ineligible for public assistance. Soto had to travel 20 miles to the Community Cupboard Food Bank in Prescott to receive help.

In the neighboring Yavapai County, which voted strongly for Trump in 2024, people felt worse off than before the election. Unemployment rose from 3.8 percent in August 2024 to 4.9 percent in August 2025. While many were still working, their wages hadn't kept up with rising prices for gas and food. Trump supporters expressed anger at Trump's decisions to start a war and spend money on a capital city they would never see.

They were also disillusioned with Congress and both political parties, lamenting corruption and the rise of billionaires. The reporter spoke with Victoria Dombrowski, a stay-at-home mother who had lost $800 a month in food stamps due to new eligibility requirements. Dombrowski resorted to the barter system, such as trimming a dog's nails for another's child to buy birthday presents.

Food banks across Arizona were experiencing a surge in demand, with 786,366 Arizonans using food banks each month in 2025, compared to 626,881 in 2024.