President Donald J. Trump said Tuesday that federal nutrition assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be distributed only after Democrats agree to reopen the federal government — a stance announced despite recent federal court rulings ordering the continuation of payments during the shutdown.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden’s administration for what he described as a “massive expansion” of food-aid spending, claiming benefits were “handed to anyone for the asking.”
“SNAP benefits … will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government,” Trump wrote.
Court rulings require payments to continue
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled last week that the Trump administration must continue issuing SNAP benefits using contingency funds while the shutdown persists.
In Massachusetts, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled the administration’s plan to halt food aid “arbitrary and capricious,” ordering a compliance plan by Nov. 3. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island ordered the government to issue at least partial payments by Wednesday, rejecting the argument that funding authority had expired.
USDA’s limited response
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday it would use roughly $4.65 billion from emergency reserves to provide partial November benefits, covering about half of the usual monthly allotments for the nation’s 42 million SNAP recipients. The agency did not commit to restoring full benefits and warned some states could face delays of “weeks or months.”
Impact and reaction
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides grocery assistance to low-income Americans. Advocates and several state governments that sued the administration argued that suspending or reducing benefits would cause “irreparable harm” to children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
State attorneys general praised the court rulings, saying they reaffirmed the federal government’s obligation to maintain essential nutrition programs during funding disputes.
Political backdrop
The announcement comes amid a prolonged government shutdown that has stretched beyond a month, with both parties blaming each other for the stalemate. Trump, who has insisted that Democrats could “easily” reopen government, said the benefit freeze is intended to pressure them to approve his spending priorities.
Next steps
Under court order, the administration must report its compliance plan early next week outlining how it will meet judicial mandates to continue SNAP distributions.
