DONKEY: Republican Says Kids Should Be Working Instead Of Receiving Free School Lunch

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club

Episode Title: DONKEY: Republican Says Kids Should Be Working Instead Of Receiving Free School Lunch
Release Date: January 29, 2025
Host: Charlamagne Tha God
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

---

Introduction to the Issue

In this episode of The Breakfast Club, host Charlamagne Tha God delves into a contentious political stance taken by Georgia Representative Rich McCormick. The discussion centers around McCormick's defense of former President Trump's federal aid freeze on school lunch programs, sparking a heated debate on the role of government assistance in combating poverty and supporting vulnerable children.

---

Rich McCormick's Stance on School Lunch Programs

Representative Rich McCormick appeared on CNN defending the federal aid freeze on school lunch programs, advocating that children should prioritize work over receiving free meals. His remarks raise significant concerns about the welfare of economically disadvantaged students.

Notable Quote:

Rich McCormick (04:12):
“Constituents, when you talk about school lunches? Hey, I work my way through high school. I don’t know about you, but I worked since I was, before I was even 13 years old. ... Kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King McDonald’s during the summer should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work?”

---

Charlamagne's Critique of McCormick

Charlamagne passionately criticizes McCormick's viewpoint, highlighting the personal and societal implications of cutting essential support programs. He shares personal anecdotes from his upbringing, emphasizing the importance of school lunch programs in providing necessary nutrition to children in need.

Key Points:

• Personal Connection: Charlamagne reflects on his grandmother's role as a lunch lady and the impact of school lunch programs on his own childhood.
• Economic Inequality: He argues that McCormick's policies overlook the deep-seated class issues that perpetuate poverty, regardless of race.
• Historical Context: Charlamagne references historical struggles for civil rights and economic justice, drawing parallels to current policies.

Notable Quotes:

Charlamagne Tha God (02:55):
“America does not give a damn about poor people. I mean, they could care less ... rich McCormick don't give a damn about color they care about... it's all a matter of class.”

Charlamagne Tha God (07:31):
“If the have nots, the poor, if they're hungry and can't get food, what you think they gonna eat? That's right. Your ass. ... figuratively, as in eat the rich.”

---

Broader Societal Implications

Charlamagne expands the discussion to the broader implications of reducing federal aid, linking it to increasing wealth inequality and societal unrest. He underscores the potential for heightened social tensions and the disillusionment of marginalized communities due to diminished support systems.

Supporting Arguments:

• Economic Trends: Charlamagne cites historical data indicating that the U.S. economy tends to perform better under Democratic leadership, contrasting it with Republican-led recessions.
• Wealth Inequality: He highlights the widening gap between the rich and the poor, arguing that cuts to essential services exacerbate this divide.
• Moral Responsibility: Drawing from religious texts, Charlamagne emphasizes the ethical duty to care for society's most vulnerable members.

Notable Quote:

Charlamagne Tha God (08:27):
“Matthew 25:40 talks about taking care of the least of us. ... serving Jesus himself. That's not what you're doing.”

---

Cultural and Historical References

To reinforce his points, Charlamagne references Tupac Shakur's poignant commentary on hunger and systemic neglect, illustrating the enduring relevance of these issues in contemporary society.

Notable Quote:

Charlamagne Tha God (07:31):
“... let me give you a reminder from the late, great Tupac Shakur on what happens when a country doesn't take care of the least of us.”

---

Conclusion and Call to Action

Charlamagne concludes by urging listeners to recognize the detrimental effects of policies that ignore the needs of the impoverished. He calls for a reevaluation of priorities to ensure that support systems remain robust and accessible, fostering a more equitable society.

Final Thoughts:

• Economic and Ethical Balance: Emphasizes the need for policies that balance economic growth with ethical obligations to support vulnerable populations.
• Long-Term Consequences: Warns of societal instability and increased class tensions if current trends continue unchecked.

---

Summary

In this episode, Charlamagne Tha God critically examines Georgia Representative Rich McCormick's stance on federal aid for school lunch programs. Through personal anecdotes, historical references, and socio-economic analysis, Charlamagne argues against the reduction of support for impoverished children, highlighting the broader implications for societal inequality and moral responsibility. The discussion underscores the necessity of maintaining and expanding federal assistance programs to ensure the well-being of all children, regardless of their socio-economic background.

---

Notable Timestamps:

• Rich McCormick's Comments: [04:03] - [05:17]
• Charlamagne's Personal Anecdotes: [02:55] - [05:17]
• Tupac Shakur Reference: [07:31] - [08:27]
• Religious Reference (Matthew 25:40): [08:27] - [09:06]

---

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing insightful discussions on political policies, personal experiences, and their impact on societal structures. Whether you're familiar with the podcast or new to it, this overview offers a clear understanding of the critical issues addressed in this episode of The Breakfast Club.

Transcript

[Charlamagne tha God]

Listen to me. This is Charlamagne tha God talking. If you're not on prime, you're missing out. Prime's not just fast free delivery, although that is definitely a big perk. It's a collection of excellent services that help you get more out of whatever passions you're into or getting into. Like right now I am really getting into past life regression therapy and there's so many books about it on Prime. So you can order books with prime or even listen to content on Amazon Music. Whether you're binge watching the latest on prime video, listening to music on Amazon Music, or getting those last minute gifts dropped at your door with prime, same day free delivery with prime, customers get closer to what they care about. Whatever you're into, it's all on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime now Jon Stewart is.

[Jon Stewart]

Back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports, and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt. I love storytelling and I love you.

[Jon Stewart]

So I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Minnie Driver]

What if you ask two different people the same set of questions? Even if the questions are the same, our experiences can lead us to drastically different answers. I'm Minnie Driver and I set out to explore this idea in my podcast, and now Mini Questions is returning for another season. We've asked an entirely new set of guests our seven questions, including Jane Lynch, Delaney Rowe, and Cord Jefferson. Listen to Mini questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 7 Questions Limitless Answers.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes, you are a donkey to the latest on that.

Police killing of a black man.

Now to new developments in the deadly spa shooting rampage.

[Jon Stewart]

And yesterday was a really bad day for him.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And this is what he did.

And so we are in a state of emergency, okay?

White supremacist violence is, it always has been, the number one threat to our society.

[Jon Stewart]

But I'm also very proud that my wife is white.

[Charlamagne tha God]

To the Breakfast Club, bitches.

All right, Charlene, please tell me, why was I your donkey of the day?

Well, donkey Today for Wednesday, January 29th goes to Georgia Representative Rich McCormick. He is a Republican who was on CNN yesterday defending Trump's federal aid freeze on school lunch programs. Now, I don't know about y'all, but I grew up on school lunch programs, okay? During the school year and at summertime, my grandmother was a lunch lady at R.A. ready Intermediate School in Moss Corner, South Carolina, dropping a clues mom for R.A. ready Intermediate School, okay? So sometimes she would bring those lunches home. And I'm gonna tell you something, I remember one kid in fourth grade who was so poor, mind you, none of us came from any money, but he had it worse than a lot of us. That school lunch program was the only time that young brother used to eat throughout the whole day. And I remember we had an evil, mean ass teacher named Ms. Freeman. That woman used to punish that young man by telling him he couldn't eat lunch. And I'll never forget the pain in that young man's face when she used to do that to him. People are really, really cruel. And that's what we are seeing from folks like Rich McCormick. Okay, not only does he agree with the federal aid freeze on school lunch programs, he says that kids should be working instead of receiving free lunch. Let's go to cnn. Pamela Brown for the report, please.

Would you support getting rid of, you know, school lunch for vulnerable kids and breakfast and Head Start? Do you support that? And what do you say to your.

[Rich McCormick]

Constituents when you talk about school lunches? Hey, I work my way through high school. I don't know about you, but I worked since I was, before I was even 13 years old. I was picking berries in the field before I had child labor laws that precluded that I was a paper boy. And when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through. You're telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King McDonald's during the summer should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work? I think we need to have a top down review.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I would say that's not necessarily a fair assessment of all of the kids. So you would say all the kids in your district who use the free lunch, for example, or breakfast, they're all just seen at home and not working. Okay, I just want to clarify because that's something we're trying to.

[Rich McCormick]

This gives us a chance, though, to see where is the money really being spent. How many people got their start in fast food restaurants when there are kids, versus just giving a blanket rule that gets all kids lunches in high school who are capable of going out and actually getting a job and doing something that makes them have value, thinking about their future instead of thinking about how they're going to sponge out the government.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay, you want high school kids to get a job? What about elementary school? What about middle school kids? Okay, you know what I'm saying? Like, let me tell you something, man, that you already probably know. America does not give a damn about poor people. I mean, they could care less. When I first heard this story, I thought to myself, does Rich McCormick know that there are poor, white, you know, you know, kids that he'll be depriving as well? Because, you know, blackness is just my default setting. So I just assume this is happening because of race, because growing up, I was a black kid who benefited from school lunch programs. But no, guys like Rich McCormick don't give a damn about color they care about. They don't give a. They don't give a damn about race. They don't give a damn about poor people, period. Okay? It's all a matter of class. But I just want to tell folks like Rich McCormick because the Trump administration is ahead of schedule on ruining the economy. By the way, I want to, I want to say something, but they are ahead of schedule. See, I've told y'all before that the economy since World War II does better when it's a Democrat in the White House. And this isn't about party affiliation because I'm an independent. I'm just dealing with facts. There have been 11 recessions in this country. Ten of them have been Republican led. So I'm already anticipating that for this administration. Say what you want, Democrats create jobs. Democrats at least attempt to expand the middle class and strengthen the economy. Okay? I understand that a lot of folks don't always feel that in their pockets. So it's hard for people to believe that. I get it. But let's be clear. This capitalist society we live in doesn't matter who's in charge, okay? Republicans and Democrats, because the gap between the haves and have nots is so wide, okay? The wealth inequality in this country is so great that what they are currently implementing by attempting to, you know, order this federal spending freeze, you stop in Medicaid, school, breakfast, lunch programs, Section 8 rental assistance, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Kids, farm credits, the va, the sba, defense contracts, anything that provides people with financial relief. They trying to put a freeze on Rich McCormick. If the have nots, the poor, if they hungry and can't get food, what you think they gonna eat? That's right. Your ass. Wait a minute. That might have excited you. Not your. Not your literal ass. I mean, figuratively, as in eat the rich. Okay, let me give you a reminder from the late, great Tupac Shakur on what happens when a country doesn't take care of the least of us.

[Tupac Shakur]

If I know that in this hotel room, they have food every day, and I'm knocking on the door every day to eat, and they tell. And they open the door, let me see the party. Let me see, like, them throwing salami all over the. I mean, just like throwing food around. But they're telling me there's no food in here. You know what I'm saying? Every day I'm standing outside trying to sing my way in. You know what I'm saying? We are hungry, please let us in. We are hungry, please let us sing. After about a week, that song was going to change the. We hungry, we need some food. After two, three weeks, it's like, you know, give me all the food and we ragging out the door. And after a year, and you just like. You know what I'm saying? I'm picking the lock, coming through the door blasting, you know what I'm saying? It's like, you hungry, you reached your level. You don't want any more. We asked 10 years ago, we was asking with the Panthers, we was asking with them, you know, the civil Rights movement. We was asking. You know. Now those people that were asking, they're all dead and in jail. So now what do you think we're gonna do?

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's only a matter of time. Okay? Rich McCormick. This is how I know folks like yourself. Y'all don't really believe in Christ. Y'all don't really believe in christ. Cause Matthew 25:40 talks about taking care of the least of us. All right? Talks about taking care of the least of us. He says, truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. This just means that by caring for those who who are most vulnerable are marginalized. You are serving Jesus himself. That's not what you're doing. Rich McCormick, please give that man the biggest hee haw. All right, well, thank you for that. Donkey.

Today, Donkey of the Day is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull Lamentsoft. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to Michael.

The Bull dot com.

That's Michael the Bull dot com and when you mess with the bull, you get the horns. Wake that ass up in the morning.

[Arturo Castro]

The Breakfast Club.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in podcast politics, entertainment, sports, and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Minnie Driver]

What if you ask two different people the same set of questions? Even if the questions are the same, our experiences can lead us to drastically different answers. I'm Minnie Driver and I set out to explore this idea in my podcast, and now Mini Questions is returning for another season. We've asked an entirely new set of guests our seven questions, including Jane Lynch, Delaney Rowe, and Cord Jefferson. Listen to Mini questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 7 Questions Limitless Answers hi, I'm Arturo.

[Arturo Castro]

Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly, guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Hel Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[Jon Stewart]

I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to Greatest escapes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paola Pedrosa]

Welcome. My name is Paola Pedrosa, a medium and the host of the Ghost Therapy podcast, where it's not just about connecting with deceased loved ones. It's about learning through them and their new perspective. I think God sent me this gift so I can show it to the world. And most of all, I help people every single day. Listen to the Ghost Therapy podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.