Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins got into a heated exchange last week at a congressional hearing that discussed fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
During that hearing, Craig peppered Rollins with questions about the number of farms that closed in 2025, the amount of money farmers lost last year, the price of diesel, the increasing price of fertilizer, and the national SNAP fraud rate.
Craig and Rollins disagreed on the answers to those questions, and Craig blamed Trump administration policies for hardships felt by farmers. The exchange was tense, with Craig repeatedly talking down to Rollins and the pair speaking over each.
At one point, Rollins asked Craig “not to be so rude.”
When Craig asked Rollins about the SNAP fraud rate, Rollins explained that the fraud rate maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is not accurate because states such as Minnesota will not let the federal government examine state SNAP data.
SNAP is a nationwide food assistance program for eligible, low-income individuals. While the program is funded by the federal government, it is administered by the states.
Answering her own question, Craig said the national SNAP fraud rate was 1.6% and said she does not believe Rollins knows the difference between the SNAP error rate and fraud rate. Craig said the 1.6% figure is the “lowest fraud rate in any program in America.”
.@USDA has NEVER had access to State SNAP data. Not until this Administration demanded it.
That’s why every figure from years past is meaningless. From the 29 states that DID share data, we’ve already identified at least $3 billion a year in fraud.
Extrapolated nationwide: more… pic.twitter.com/st2Nf58fIR
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 4, 2026
Rollins disagreed with Craig’s statement about the SNAP fraud rate, saying, “you can’t be serious when you say that.” The agriculture secretary went on to say that Minnesota has refused to let the USDA confirm Minnesota’s self-reported SNAP fraud rate.
According to the USDA, the SNAP fraud rate is a separate statistic from the SNAP error rate. The USDA’s website does not appear to have readily-available data on SNAP fraud.
Meanwhile, the SNAP error rate is the rate at which SNAP recipients unintentionally receive either a SNAP overpayment or underpayment. According to USDA data, the SNAP program had a 10.93% error rate in 2024, the most recent year with available data.
In 2024, Minnesota had a SNAP error rate of 8.98%. Under the newly-enacted One Big Beautiful Bill, states with a SNAP error rate of 6% or higher will be required to pay the federal government a penalty based on their error rate.
Minnesota has recently come under scrutiny for being among over a dozen states that have not turned over SNAP data to the federal government. In April, Minnesota’s GOP congressional delegation urged Gov. Tim Walz to give Minnesota’s SNAP data to USDA.
At Thursday’s hearing, Craig repeatedly interrupted Rollins’ answers to say she was “reclaiming” her own speaking time. At the end of Craig’s speaking time, she complained to the committee chairman, saying, “[Rollins] talked over half of my time here.”
Despite Craig’s efforts, she was not given any extra speaking time by the committee chairman. Craig is currently a DFL candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
