High Country Advocate Staff Reporter
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Friday evening that he is directing government lawyers to seek urgent court guidance on funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing government shutdown, which has now reached its 31st day.
Background: The SNAP Funding Crisis
The federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, has created an unprecedented crisis for the nation’s largest food assistance program CBS News. Roughly 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to help buy food CBS News, with benefits providing eligible families with an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card for food purchases CBS News.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on November 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown ABC7 New York. This announcement sent states, food banks, and SNAP recipients scrambling to prepare for the cutoff.
The Court Rulings
The immediate catalyst for Trump’s Truth Social post came from two significant court decisions issued on Friday, October 31, just hours before SNAP funding was set to lapse:
In Massachusetts, Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the government is required by law to tap into emergency contingency funds to make at least partial payments, giving the administration until Monday to tell the court whether it planned to do so CBS News.
In Rhode Island, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled after an hour-long emergency hearing that the suspension of SNAP funding is arbitrary and likely to cause irreparable harm, citing the “terror” felt by Americans who are scrambling to meet their basic needs Reason Magazine.
The administration had said it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said money would be tapped to keep SNAP running ABC7 New York. Judge Talwani rejected the government’s argument that the $5 billion contingency fund cannot be used to fund benefits during the lapse in appropriations CBS News.
Trump’s Response on Truth Social
In his Truth Social post, President Trump acknowledged the legal uncertainty: “Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do.”
The President stated he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” and said he has directed his lawyers to seek immediate court clarification on how to legally fund SNAP.
Trump drew parallels to previous actions during the shutdown, saying it would be his “honor” to provide the funding, similar to what he did for military and law enforcement pay. He warned that even with immediate court guidance, payments would be delayed while states process and distribute the funds.
The post concluded with a call to action, urging SNAP recipients to contact Senate Democrats, specifically providing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office number: (202) 224-6542, calling on them to “immediately REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”
What Happens Next
Whatever happens in court, it will take time for SNAP recipients to get access to any assistance in November. States stopped the process of issuing benefits after the USDA sent them a letter on October 10 ordering them to do so NPR. The administration has until Monday, November 3, to respond to both courts about how it will proceed with funding the program.
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