Donald Trump reversed course Tuesday (November 4) and vowed to withhold food benefits for millions of people as the government shutdown entered into its 35th day.
“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!” Trump fumed on Tuesday.
This marked a complete reversal of his stance on Monday, after two federal judges ordered his administration to unlock emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, when he softened his position.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture informed the court that it would begin drawing from a contingency reserve to make partial payments to approximately 42 million low-income Americans who rely on the program to purchase groceries, according to The New York Times.
The announcement followed rulings from federal judges in Boston and Rhode Island, who sided with a lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 24 other Democratic-led states.
Judge Indira Talwani ruled Friday that the federal government must tap into the emergency fund to keep SNAP afloat. The Trump administration had previously argued the money was reserved for natural disasters and refused to release the $5 billion in reserve or use a larger fund.
Trump commented over the weekend that he wanted to resume payments but claimed he didn’t know how to authorize the funds during the shutdown, now entering its second month.
The USDA’s Monday filing to Talwani confirmed that it would begin the process of distributing funds, although it acknowledged that it would take time to determine how much each state and Washington, D.C. would receive.
The delay leaves millions unsure when they’ll get the assistance they depend on. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a food emergency in New York last week, moving over $100 million to support food banks and soup kitchens.
However, advocates argue that those efforts can’t replace SNAP, which supports one in eight Americans and costs approximately $8 billion each month.
While the Trump administration found money to pay military personnel and fund immigration enforcement, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue refused to authorize SNAP payments for November, claiming the program was riddled with “corruption and waste.”
Republicans blamed Democrats for the funding deadlock, urging them to approve a GOP-led stopgap bill. Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, pushed back, demanding negotiations on Obamacare tax credits that have caused health insurance premiums to rise for over 20 million Americans.
The shutdown began on October 1.