A Republican congressman is making headlines after remarks he made about the school lunch program during a CNN interview on Tuesday, Jan. 28. NBC News reported that Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., suggested “some children receiving free school lunches should work at McDonald’s instead.” Other left-leaning outlets, including The Daily Beast and USA Today, also covered McCormick’s comments over whether some high school students should work rather than receive free lunch at school.
A “media miss” in the coverage of McCormick’s comments
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The context behind McCormick’s remarks
CNN interviewed McCormick regarding President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily freezing some federal grants and loans. The order has since been rescinded by the Trump administration.
The conversation between CNN and McCormick turned to whether federal assistance, including funds for free school lunch programs, would be affected by the executive order.
“I don’t know about you but I worked my way through high school,” McCormick said. “You’re telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King or McDonald’s during the summer should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work? I think we need to have a top down review.”
CNN anchor Pamela Brown countered, noting that many children who receive free lunches are younger than working age, such as those in Head Start programs. McCormick clarified that his comments were not aimed at younger children but rather able and working-age high school students.
“How many kids got their start in fast food restaurants when they were kids versus a blanket rule that gives all kids lunches in high school who are capable of going out and getting a job and doing something that gives them value … thinking about their future instead of thinking how they’re going to sponge off the government when they don’t need to,” McCormick said.
McCormick calls for “top-down review” of free lunch programs
During the interview, Brown also asked McCormick if he believed all children in his district receiving free lunches were “just sitting at home and not working.”
“No, this gives us a chance to see where the money is really being spent,” McCormick responded.
McCormick compared the free lunch program for working-age students to government incentives that he believes encourage people to stay at home and not work. He expressed concern that the country was losing its way and reiterated his call for a “top-down review.”
White House responds to confusion over federal freeze
There had been confusion about the impact of Trump’s executive order on federal assistance programs, with some questioning whether school lunch programs are affected. White House officials like Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller clarified that the freeze did not impact public benefit programs, including school lunches.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that individuals receiving assistance would not be impacted by the executive order.
Welcome to the first dumb media hoax of 2025. OMB ordered a review of funding to NGOs, foreign governments and large discretionary contracts. It explicitly excluded all aid and benefit programs. Leftwing media outright lied and some people fell for the hoax.
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 28, 2025
The Trump administration rescinded the executive order on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
McCormick’s comments and the subsequent coverage of the issue have sparked further debate about the future of federal assistance programs, including the free lunch program for students, as the Trump administration looks to cut what it calls wasteful government spending. A new Reuters poll suggested the majority of Americans, 61%, are on board with downsizing the government.
