Amid the protracted US government shutdown, President Donald Trump issued a strong statement on Friday addressing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding crisis, blaming “radical Democrats” and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for the ongoing impasse.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I don’t want Americans to starve just because radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and RE-OPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” adding that he had ordered his administration’s lawyers to “ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”
The US president went on to say he would like to approve funding for SNAP if allowed — “I would be honored to provide the funding” — and called on Democrats to “drop this charade of hurting people for their own political reasons.”
“If you’re on SNAP, call the Democrats in the Senate and tell them to reopen the government, NOW! Here’s Cryin’ Chuck Schumer’s office number: (202) 224-6542,” the US president’s post concluded.
Trump’s post comes on the heels of two court decisions Friday, where judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered SNAP funding to continue.
A Massachusetts court ruled that the administration was required by law to use a previously allocated contingency fund in November for at least partial SNAP payments.
Meanwhile, a Rhode Island court issued a temporary restraining order to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release emergency funds as soon as possible.
While the two orders were aligned in effect and spirit — ordering continued funding for SNAP — they came from separate courts handling different lawsuits, leading to Trump’s characterization of “conflicting views” that required clarification.
The Trump administration has been given until Monday to respond to the court orders, and it remains to be seen what its response will be.
Why did SNAP funding dry up?
The US government shut down on October 1 due to a deadlock between Republicans and Democrats over a federal spending bill.
When the government ended, SNAP funding, which is authorized annually, was not restored, and the USDA argued that because the funding had “lapsed,” it was legally barred from making regular November payments.
As the payments dried up, several states and other organizations sued the Trump administration, seeking continued funding for the program.
SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) is the largest anti-hunger program in the US, serving 41.7 million Americans.
Reportedly, up to one in eight low-income Americans use SNAP each month, with monthly costs for the program reaching $8.5 billion to $9 billion.
