Trump says he's withholding SNAP benefits until shutdown ends
President Trump signaled Tuesday he would be withholding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits until "Radical Left Democrats open up government," as many states grapple with a lapse in federal funding.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, wrote, "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!"
A federal judge directed the Trump administration late last month to use available emergency funds to keep SNAP benefits going. The White House said Monday that it would not be tapping into other funds, calling it "an unacceptable risk."
The administration said it would send out reduced SNAP benefits while noting the process to recalculate could result in significant delays.
The White House noted the fund has $4.65 billion available for households, which is not enough to cover the full November benefits, expected to cost upward of $9 billion.
Amid the confusion, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told grocery stores they were prohibited from offering discounts to SNAP recipients during the shutdown.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered some clarification on the White House's plans for SNAP Tuesday afternoon, indicating that partial benefits are still slated to be sent out, albeit with some delay.
During a press briefing, CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Leavitt whether the administration planned to distribute the money or defy the court order.
“No. The administration is fully complying with the court order. I just spoke to the president about it," Leavitt said. "The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it's going to take some time to receive this money, because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position. 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."
"The Department of Agriculture, as for the latest SNAP payment and the judge's order, put out guidance to states today on how to get that money to the recipients of SNAP. But it's going to take some time," she added.
States braced for the anticipated halt in the program that is solely funded by the federal government. Many turned to their own emergency funds, directed residents to food banks or said plainly that benefits would not be available beginning in November.
An average of 41.7 million people, or 12.3 percent, in the U.S. received SNAP benefits in 2024, with some states and territories more reliant on the program than others.
Updated at 2:28 p.m. EST