Trump threatens to withhold SNAP meals advantages till the shutdown ends – however White House says otherwise | EUROtoday

President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that SNAP advantages will “be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government,” regardless of a decide’s current ruling ordering in any other case.

Trump made the announcement by way of Truth Social Tuesday morning, simply days after a decide ordered the Trump administration to pay out SNAP advantages as quickly as doable. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified the president’s publish hours later, telling reporters the Trump administration continues to be obeying the court docket order.

“The administration is fully complying with the court order, I just spoke to the president about it,” Leavitt stated. “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 tap into this fund in the future — and that’s what he was referring to in his Truth Social post,” she added.

The Trump administration initially deliberate to cease funding the SNAP program on November 1, citing the continuing authorities shutdown. But on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Jack McConnell ordered the administration to make use of emergency funds to pay out some SNAP advantages.

The authorities stated in court docket filings Monday that $4.65 billion may very well be used to cowl half of SNAP advantages for households presently enrolled. “No funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely,” officers wrote.

The actual timeline is unclear, however Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Sunday that funds resume as quickly as Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP advantages, additionally printed steering for states earlier Tuesday on the partial funds.

Nearly 42 million individuals obtain SNAP advantages, which assist low-income households “supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being,” in accordance with the USDA web site.

There’s nonetheless no finish in sight for the continuing shutdown, which started October 1, after the Senate failed for a 14th time to reopen the federal government on Tuesday. Unless the Senate reaches an settlement by Tuesday evening, this shutdown will develop into the longest in U.S. historical past.

The earlier shutdown file was set in 2019 throughout Trump’s first time period, with a closure that lasted 35 days.