Sanders defiant as critics slam her welfare work requirement ad

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-Ark., is fighting backlash online after an ad she released to promote work requirements for welfare went viral and became a national controversy.

"Some critics online don't like my welfare work requirement ad. Next thing you know they’ll say I should have used cookies instead of cheese balls. If you are able-bodied you should not collect welfare simply because you choose not to work. Period," she posted on X.

But Sanders largely did not address the nature of the criticism, which was that the ad depicted a young, white man as living off of welfare while playing video games and eating Cheetos. White men aged 18-30 are statistically one of the least likely groups to receive state benefits.

Sanders's original post received more than 6 million views on X and attracted a flood of criticism from prominent conservatives, with many accusing her of scapegoating a "safe" target in white men, while ignoring the higher rates of welfare receipt among women and minority groups.

The ad also became the subject of a community note highlighting that many welfare recipients, particularly those enrolled in Medicaid, are older women with an average age of 41.

Medicaid and SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) make up the majority of welfare in the state. Arkanasas's Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) is a traditional cash payment system, but its maximum payout is $204 per month for a family of three and $81 per month for an individual recipient.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.