The food insecurity that Trump denies is perceived even in a wealthy U.S. county.

In Fairfax, the fourth wealthiest county in the U.S. and located 25 kilometers from the White House, there is a clear perceived increase in the demand for food assistance while President Donald Trump insists on a supposed historic reduction in poverty in his campaign for Tuesday’s legislative elections, which are marked by the economic situation of Americans.

“Getting enough money to buy food for the whole month when you live on Social Security has become practically impossible,” says Don Donnuck, a 66-year-old Fairfax resident who receives $24 a month in food assistance and relies on food banks run by social organizations like Food for Others to complete his grocery shopping, in an interview with EFE.

Need in the wealthy county

The county, located in Northern Virginia, has a median annual household income of over $153,000. However, the rising cost of living, which has been exacerbated by higher fuel prices, is leading more residents to turn to food assistance.

The situation contrasts with Trump’s economic message, which, rally after rally, insists that “the poverty rate has just reached its best level, the lowest in U.S. history.”

Don has been living in Fairfax for six decades, in the same house he inherited from his parents. He has a disability and lives on Social Security.

While waiting in line to receive a ration, he complains about the rising cost of basic products and points out that a three-pound package of ground beef costs about four dollars more than it did a little over a year ago.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), food prices in the Washington area rose 3.5% year-over-year in September 2026, and gasoline prices rose 33.8%.

Alonzo Lockridge, a 62-year-old African American man who also relies on food banks in Fairfax, describes the cuts to social programs made by Trump as a “severe blow.”

It refers to the cut of about 186 billion dollars nationwide to the budget of the food assistance program (SNAP) approved in the fiscal package promoted by the Republican in 2025.

Less food and more expenses

Food for Others, a non-profit organization that has been distributing free food in Northern Virginia for 30 years, is also facing rising operating costs and a reduction in supplies.

Its executive director, Deb Haynes, states that some of their programs have recorded growth of between 8% and 13%, and that people who have never had to ask for food assistance before are now arriving.

“It is really difficult, from an emotional point of view, for those who had never experienced food insecurity to have to come and ask for help,” points out Haynes, who details that dozens of people who were dismissed from their positions in federal institutions on Trump’s initiative have been coming in search of food since 2025.

The organization receives 20% less food than the previous year through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), managed by the Department of Agriculture.

Donations have also decreased: those from supermarkets fell by 26% year-on-year, and those received through another of their donation programs fell by 34% so far this fiscal year.

Haynes explains that the high cost of gasoline also hits his operations, since due to the war in Iran and Ukraine, the diesel bill for September was 1,200 dollars higher than that of February.

“The economic impact is so severe that there are people who have gone from being in a position to help others financially to needing assistance themselves,” he details.

The pocket, a central concern

“The president has to remember that during his campaign he said he was going to make the U.S. great again. But let him not forget the Americans who helped make this country great,” states Alonzo.

For Don, the issue is more immediate than electoral. “I don’t know what people like me would do without places like this,” he concludes.

Despite Trump’s optimism, the pocketbook is a central concern in the elections being held in four days, as confirmed by a Pew Research Center poll indicating that 84% of voters consider it will be very important in deciding who they support on November 3.