California sues over SNAP benefits cuts as Gov. Newsom invokes Scripture

California Governor Gavin Newsom cited biblical teachings while criticizing Republican leadership and the Trump administration for the impact of the federal government shutdown on food aid, arguing that the Bible commands care for the hungry and that Washington is failing that moral test.

Speaking Tuesday in Sacramento alongside state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson, Newsom cited the teachings of Matthew, Isaiah, Luke and Proverbs as evidence that feeding the poor is “fundamental and central to what it means to align with the will of God.”

“It’s not an old-fashioned suggestion [and] “The New Testament,” Newsom said. “These guys need to stop the BS in Washington. They’re sitting there at their prayer breakfast. Maybe they got a modified version of [President] Donald Trump’s Bible, and they deleted all of that. Cruelty is politics.”

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Newsom, who was raised Catholic and graduated from Santa Clara University, a Jesuit institution, sometimes cited his religious background and Jesuit education when discussing social issues.

In his remarks Tuesday, he pointed to a “wonderful Jesuit university” and said New Testament lessons emphasize feeding the hungry and caring for the poor.

Newsom’s comments came as California and twenty other states sued the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its decision to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November during the government shutdown.

Bonta said the agency had emergency funds and was allegedly “illegally withholding payments.”

While Newsom has linked the issue to the Bible, he has recently come under fire for opposing White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt’s emphasis on the power of prayer in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in August.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, in Sacramento, California. (Tayfun Coskun/Anatolia via Getty Images)

“These kids were literally praying when they got shot,” Newsom wrote above a clip of Levitt promoting the prayer.

Newsom stressed that point repeatedly in his remarks Tuesday, saying leaders who cite religion should reflect those values ​​in policy.

“We will win this lawsuit,” he added. “It’s about serving those who are hungry.”

California officials said the state accelerated $80 million to food banks and deployed volunteers and members of the National Guard to transport supplies. Johnson said CalFresh serves 5.5 million residents a month, and warned that cutting off SNAP benefits would increase poverty.

California Governor Gavin Newsom listens during a news conference Tuesday in Sacramento, California. (Tayfun Kokun/Anatolia via Getty Images)

Newsom ended his remarks by once again linking government work to clerical duty. “It’s about the food. It’s about serving the hungry,” he said.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded sharply, accusing the governor of hypocrisy.

“It is unconscionable that Newsom, who closed churches during Covid and recently mocked the power of prayer, is now trying to manipulate religion to suit his political agenda,” Jackson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“President Trump wants to open the government — Democrats’ insistence on keeping it closed is hurting the American people, but they can prevent that damage simply by reopening the government. Instead of denigrating religion for political purposes, Newsom should urge his fellow Democrats to reopen the government.”

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On Fox News Channel’s “America Reports” on Tuesday, USDA Secretary Brock Rollins blamed Democrats for refusing to vote on measures to reopen the government and restore SNAP funding.

“We are on the brink,” Rollins said. “I have been warning about this for almost a month now, that we have enough money until the end of October. But after that, the government has to reopen.”

The USDA and Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.