Dwain Northey (Gen X)

During Donald Trump’s administration, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical failures in crisis management—especially in food distribution. When schools, restaurants, and hotels closed, massive disruptions hit the agricultural supply chain. Farmers, suddenly cut off from their usual buyers, were forced to dump milk, destroy crops, and euthanize animals. Meanwhile, millions of Americans faced food insecurity.

A key reason for this waste was the Trump administration’s inability to mobilize an effective response. Leadership at agencies like the USDA lacked the experience or urgency needed to handle such a crisis. Instead of quickly creating a streamlined national plan to reroute surplus food to food banks or families in need, the administration delayed aid, relied on underqualified political appointees, and allowed red tape to stall action.

The Farmers to Families Food Box program, while helpful to some, was slow to start and riddled with inefficiencies. Many contracts went to companies with no food distribution experience, leading to delays, spoilage, and inequitable delivery. In many cases, food banks lacked the resources or infrastructure to handle large deliveries without federal coordination or support.

This mismanagement reflected a broader pattern under Trump: prioritizing loyalty over competence. Key positions in federal agencies were filled with individuals lacking relevant expertise, which weakened the government’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies.

The result? Thousands of pounds of fresh food wasted while families stood in long lines at food banks. What could have been a moment of coordinated national relief became a symbol of missed opportunity and poor leadership. A well-managed administration could have minimized waste and maximized aid. Instead, the lack of experienced personnel and strategic oversight turned a solvable logistics problem into a humanitarian failure.