Trump Says SNAP Will Only Get Paid After Shutdown, Defies Court Order/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump declared Tuesday that SNAP benefits will not be paid until Democrats end the government shutdown. This stance contradicts recent federal court rulings ordering partial payments of the food assistance program. Advocates warn millions of Americans will face food insecurity if the issue isn’t resolved immediately.
SNAP Benefits and Shutdown Standoff: Quick Looks
- Trump states SNAP payments will resume only after government reopens.
- Federal courts had ordered partial SNAP payments during the shutdown.
- Over 42 million Americans rely on SNAP, many of them children and seniors.
- Trump’s post ignores a judge’s Monday deadline for full payment compliance.
- SNAP spending surged during Trump’s first term due to COVID relief.
- Policy experts say the government has funding and means to pay benefits now.
- Nonprofits warn food banks cannot cover the gap left by halted SNAP funds.
- Legal groups vow to return to court to enforce compliance with ruling.
Trump Says SNAP Will Only Get Paid After Shutdown, Defies Court Order
Deep Look
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Tuesday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not resume payments until the federal government reopens, despite court orders to continue benefits during the shutdown.
In a sharply worded post, Trump blamed “Radical Left Democrats” for the government closure, stating, “SNAP BENEFITS… will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government.” This message comes in direct opposition to two recent federal court rulings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island mandating that at least partial benefits be distributed during the ongoing shutdown.
More than 42 million Americans depend on SNAP to help feed their families. Most recipients are children, elderly adults, or working households living near or below the poverty line. For them, SNAP is not a political pawn — it is a necessity. The current shutdown has already disrupted access to food assistance in some states for the first time in U.S. history.
The Trump administration has argued that logistical and technical limitations make complying with the court orders difficult. Officials say updating state payment systems could take weeks. However, anti-poverty advocates and legal experts insist that the federal government has both the funds and administrative capabilities to act immediately if it chooses.
Carolyn Vega, associate director of policy analysis at Share Our Strength, called the situation “heartbreaking.” She noted that “most SNAP recipients are working families who don’t have time to wait in long lines at food banks,” adding that food pantries don’t have the capacity to replace what SNAP provides.
Compounding the controversy is Trump’s mischaracterization of SNAP increases under Biden. While the president pointed to a spike in SNAP funding under the previous administration, most of the increase occurred during Trump’s own first term due to emergency COVID-19 relief. SNAP spending jumped from $93 billion in 2020 to $128 billion in 2021 as unemployment surged and food insecurity hit crisis levels.
Court records show that U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island set a Wednesday deadline for the administration to confirm whether it will pay benefits in full or in part. Meanwhile, Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward and one of the plaintiffs in the suit, condemned Trump’s refusal to comply. “This is immoral. See you in court,” she posted Tuesday.
Federal data shows the number of SNAP recipients rose steadily through the pandemic and peaked in the early Biden years, before beginning to decline slightly in 2024 as the economy improved. The Biden administration also updated the Thrifty Food Plan to more accurately reflect the cost of nutritious meals, which affected benefit levels.
Despite these adjustments, most experts agree the federal government retains both the legal authority and available funds — including contingency reserves — to meet the demands of court rulings and continue SNAP payments immediately.
For now, however, the administration has not announced any plans to follow the courts’ directives, and millions of Americans remain in limbo.
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