President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will withhold November food stamp payments until Congress ends the ongoing government shutdown — a move that has already drawn sharp rebukes from federal judges and advocacy groups.
“SNAP BENEFITS... will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday morning, referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid to more than 42 million Americans.
The declaration directly contradicts rulings issued last week by federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, who ordered the Trump administration to immediately release SNAP funds despite the shutdown. Both courts emphasized that withholding food assistance during a budget impasse would cause “irreparable harm” to families and children.
In a November 3 court filing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed it would comply with the rulings by drawing on emergency reserves to cover roughly 50% of November SNAP benefits. These payments, according to the filing, will be funded through “contingency funds,” leaving no remaining cushion for new applicants or disaster relief.
“USDA sent SNAP guidance to states. My team stands by to offer immediate technical assistance,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote on X, though she echoed Trump’s argument that reopening the government would accelerate the process.
Legal and policy groups condemned Trump’s announcement as both politically motivated and potentially unlawful.
“The Trump-Vance administration continues to play politics with people’s lives,” said Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, one of the groups suing the administration. “This is immoral and unlawful. The administration must fully fund SNAP benefits so people can eat, today.”
Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island ordered the administration to respond by Wednesday evening and scheduled a follow-up hearing for Thursday, November 6, warning that the White House must “comply in full” or face sanctions.
The Trump administration has argued that SNAP funding cannot legally be extended without congressional appropriations, even during court-ordered disbursements. Internal USDA letters to state agencies, dated October 24, show that officials suspended all November SNAP allotments until “sufficient federal funding is provided.”
Despite that stance, legal experts say Trump’s latest comments may violate the court’s injunction by suggesting he intends to withhold legally mandated payments.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the administration is “fully complying with the court order” but blamed Democrats for “forcing this administration into a very untenable position.”
The controversy comes as food insecurity reaches new highs amid inflation and rising grocery costs. SNAP funding officially lapsed on November 1, and the USDA’s emergency spending may only cover half of this month’s expected aid — leaving millions uncertain when, or if, their full benefits will arrive.
Both the White House and USDA declined to comment further on the situation.
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