Keke Palmer Is Getting Dragged Over This Comment About EBT Cards

Celebrity By TooFab Staff |
Getty/Twitter

"Imagine if your EBT card could only work on healthy items..."

Keke Palmer found herself in the middle of a Twitter firestorm on Monday after an early-morning tweet about food stamps went viral.

"Imagine if your EBT card could only work on healthy items..." the actress tweeted with some side eye emojis — and the internet did not hold back. The tweet has since been deleted.

Within hours, "Keke" was one of the top trending topics, as the Twitterverse lambasted her for trying to police what low- and no-income people ate.

While that one post is the one getting all the attention, earlier tweets in the "Scream Queens" star's Twitter feed provided a little more context to Palmer's larger point.

The 27-year-old had actually started the morning by complaining about the high cost of healthy food, accusing corporations of gouging consumers:

She went on to engage with followers, discussing her health food regimen, when one fan lamented: "That's my main issue w/healthy food - it is largely inaccessible. If you don't have a piece of land to grow most of your own stuff, shit's close to impossible."

"I feel the government need to settle the score period pooh," Keke replied, before firing off the "Imagine if your EBT card could only work on healthy items" post.

While she called on the newly minted Vice-President and President's Elect to do something about it, she had no idea her EBT tweet was getting dragged across twitter, until one follower called her out:

"You really need to chill. Because this is THE most ignorant stance and statement, due to privilege/assumption you're exercising in the statement alone..." the Twitter user wrote.

"Damn! I thought it was a nice suggestion considering I know so many people consoling they can't afford the healthy food with they EBT cards," she replied "My bad! Everybody don't feel the same that's okay lol."

It didn't get much better for her from there; she spent the next two hours attempting to dig herself out of the Twitter hole, as the attacks kept coming. Many brought up the high cost of healthy food, as well as the availability of it in "food deserts," areas where accessibility to affordable, healthy food is near impossible.

Instead of perhaps admitting her initial tweet -- which, again, only suggested EBT cards should "only work on healthy items" and mentioned nothing about healthy food being free --  wasn't worded in best way, Keke doubled down and began accusing her critics of being against free healthy food for low- and no-income people:

She risked treading into even deeper water when, after being told several times that she should not discuss problems that do not concern her unless she is bringing a solution, she pointed out that her tax dollars fund the program:

... and then almost dragged the Kardashians into it...

As the hits kept coming on Twitter, she tried getting her followers to switch over to Instagram -- where she pleaded her initial case more clearly.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

After one of her followers spelled out the confusion -- tweeting, "If this is the plan: EBT AND free healthy foods (yay). If the plan is EBT ONLY for healthy food it's a little.....poverty shaming. I'm gonna decide the first one is what you meant" -- Palmer confirmed the former is what she was trying to say.

"Hahaha yes! I don't wanna encourage nothing harmful to folks shit let's all decide," she replied. I'm into the discussion!"

As of this publishing -- three hours after the offending tweet -- the back and forth is still going on. Pull up a chair and watch here!