President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the administration won’t pay food stamp benefits until after the partial government shutdown ends, in potential defiance of a federal court order and in conflict with what his administration told a judge Monday.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the administration won’t pay food stamp benefits until after the partial government shutdown ends, in potential defiance of a federal court order and in conflict with what his administration told a judge Monday.
His post on the social media site Truth Social came even as the Agriculture Department was giving state agencies directions on how to distribute partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November. A USDA memo said the agencies must notify households about a reduction in the monthly benefit.
Trump’s post also came the same day a federal court in Rhode Island was asked to order the USDA to fully pay November food stamp benefits. The USDA said Monday it would deplete a contingency fund that could cover roughly half — about $4.65 billion — of the monthly benefit using a SNAP contingency fund.
“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 said in the post.
The USDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post.
Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ordered the USDA on Saturday to use a contingency fund to pay benefits. He said reduced benefits had to go out by the end of the day Wednesday.
