Trump asks courts to clarify SNAP food stamp payments amid shutdown
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President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is asking federal courts to clarify whether it can legally release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments while the government shutdown continues.
In a statement Posted on Truth SocialTrump said government lawyers had raised doubts about whether available funds could be used for the November distribution, and two courts had issued conflicting views on the issue.
“Our government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with the specific monies we have, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump said. he wrote. “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry because Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”
The president said he has instructed administration lawyers to seek clarification from the courts “as soon as possible.”
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President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media aboard Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on October 31, 2025. (Samuel Çorum/Getty Images)
“If we are given proper legal direction by the Court, it would be MY HONOR to provide the funding, just as I did with the Military and Law Enforcement Pension,” Trump added. “Democrats must end this charade of hurting people for their own political reasons and reopen the GOVERNMENT immediately.”
Trump urged food stamp recipients to contact Senate Democrats, writing: “If you are using SNAP benefits, call Senate Democrats and tell them to reopen the Government, NOW! Here’s the Office Number for Crying Chuck Schumer.”
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides benefits to approximately 42 million Americans each month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding for the program depends on congressional appropriations that have expired during the current shutdown.
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A woman carrying a shopping cart containing food aid leaves a food distribution event sponsored by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and volunteers at Christ Apostolic Church in Altamonte Springs, Florida, on October 31, 2025. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The president made these statements one day before the scheduled November 1 payment date for many buyers. USDA has not publicly stated whether benefits will be awarded unless the courts provide new guidance.
Trump has repeatedly accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown to gain political influence, while Democrats say the White House could reopen the government by signing the short-term spending bill that has already passed in the Senate.
SNAP beneficiaries are outraged on social media as the government shutdown affects their grocery shopping privileges starting next month. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
In his post, Trump said it was his duty to “make sure Americans don’t go hungry,” citing previous actions by the military and law enforcement to protect paychecks during the crisis.
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As of Friday afternoon, no court filings regarding SNAP funding had been made public.
The White House referred Fox News Digital to President Trump’s Truth Social post when asked for comment.
