President Donald Trump mentioned Tuesday that federal meals advantages received’t be distributed till after Democrats comply with reopen the federal government.
Hours later, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt contradicted the president, saying meals advantages would exit in any case.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, it was principally unclear what was happening, besides that Trump had positioned himself on the middle of governing chaos.
In a Reality Social put up on Tuesday morning, Trump mentioned Supplemental Diet Help Program advantages “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
Trump’s announcement was a surprising reversal from Monday, when the U.S. Division of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, mentioned it could abide by courtroom orders to pay not less than partial advantages by tapping a contingency fund.
The USDA had mentioned in a courtroom submitting that it “intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025.”
Leavitt later mentioned the USDA would, actually, obey the courtroom order.
“The administration is fully complying with the court order. I just spoke to the president about it,” Leavitt informed reporters on the White Home. “We are digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies, catastrophes, for war, and the president does not want to have to tap into this fund in the future, and that’s what he was referring to in his Truth Social post.”
Leavitt’s description of the Reality Social put up, which is quoted in full beneath, was incorrect. Trump didn’t reference the contingency fund. He mentioned solely that SNAP advantages “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government … and not before.”
The USDA has not responded to requests for remark.
Andrew Harnik by way of Getty Pictures
Democrats blasted the concept of not paying the advantages.
“The president is not a king. He is not free to disregard the rule of law whenever it becomes politically inconvenient for him,” Rep. Angie Craig (Minn.), the highest Democrat on the Home Agriculture Committee, mentioned in an announcement. “The Trump administration must comply with recent court orders to fund SNAP in November for millions of hungry seniors, children, veterans and the disabled.”
Greater than 22 million American households, containing roughly 42 million individuals, obtain SNAP advantages every month, averaging round $350 per family, which can be utilized to buy meals at grocery shops.
The USDA initially acknowledged it couldn’t pay November’s SNAP allotment, however then introduced on Monday that it may after being ordered to take action by the courtroom. November’s advantages had been supposed to begin going out for some recipients on Saturday, and the USDA mentioned there might be additional delays. It mentioned there was solely sufficient cash in its contingency fund to cowl 50% of advantages, requiring state companies liable for distributing the funds to undergo a doubtlessly prolonged course of to regulate profit quantities.
The interruption of meals advantages is without doubt one of the greatest impacts of a authorities shutdown that has dragged on for six weeks since Democrats refused to assist a authorities funding invoice that didn’t tackle medical health insurance subsidies expiring at 12 months’s finish.
Republican leaders have rebuffed requires stand-alone laws to maintain SNAP advantages flowing, saying piecemeal company funding would scale back the stress on Democrats to totally reopen the federal government.
On Monday, Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) praised the Trump administration for agreeing to pay partial SNAP advantages.
“The SNAP benefit is a very important question. The White House has bent over backwards, as we’ve recounted here every morning, to make sure that Americans’ pain is mitigated as much as possible,” Johnson mentioned, earlier than happening to reward the administration for complying with a courtroom order and agreeing to make partial funds.
Inside minutes, Trump made a idiot of Johnson.
In his Reality Social put up, Trump pointed to increased SNAP spending throughout his predecessor’s administration, though the rise started in 2020, throughout the coronavirus pandemic, in Trump’s first time period.
“SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
The plaintiffs in one of many circumstances that went towards the Trump administration ― a gaggle of nonprofits and native governments in Rhode Island ― instantly notified the federal courtroom there of what Trump had mentioned.
“Defendants are withholding SNAP benefits from individuals and families who need vital food assistance for partisan political gain,” the teams wrote. “The President’s post confirms that Defendants are holding full SNAP benefits hostage for political leverage during the shutdown.”
The teams, which embody the Rhode Island State Council of Church buildings and the United Means of Rhode Island, have additionally requested the courtroom to insist the administration pay full profit quantities.
Democrats appeared not sure what to make of Leavitt’s assertion that contradicted the president.
“She has to say they’re gonna comply with the law, otherwise she’s admitting that they’re gonna violate the law,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) informed HuffPost. “I mean, even paying partial benefits is fucked up. They have the ability to pay full benefits.”
Some Democrats, nevertheless, is perhaps feeling the stress. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) informed HuffPost the prospect of a significant SNAP interruption “makes it more urgent” for senators to succeed in some type of bipartisan settlement. However Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) mentioned the president’s announcement was unhelpful.
“It’s a sad day when a judge has to order the president of United States to give food assistance to 44 million Americans,” Warnock mentioned. “And now that he’s gotten that order, he has said he will defy it.”
Jen Bendery and Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
