Despite two federal judges ordering the Trump administration to fund food stamps for 42 million Americans whose payments were shut down on Saturday, President Donald Trump said he will not do so until the federal government is reopened.
SNAP benefits, Trump wrote on social media, “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”
The New York Times reported that “Tens of millions of Americans will get only partial payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for this month, the Trump administration told a federal judge on Monday, and it was not clear when even those reduced benefits would be distributed.”
Critics were quick to respond.
“The president appears to be saying he will NOT abide by the court order to release SNAP benefits even though the WH said they would partially release them,” The Bulwark’s Sam Stein wrote.
He added, “an hour ago Trump’s own Ag Sec was explaining that they’d given guidance to states about how to administer SNAP benefits from the emergency fund. Now Trump is saying he won’t pay those benefits until the government is reopened.”
“Trump is both defying a court order and taking ownership of the ending of food benefits for needy people all during a shutdown fight that polls show him losing,” Stein observed, “and doing this just days after his Great Gatsby party!”
Media Matters’ senior fellow Matthew Gertz wrote: “Since the ‘No Kings’ rallies, the president has launched an ill-defined bombing campaign without congressional sanction; orchestrated federal charges against his enemies; promised not to release appropriated funds to a jurisdiction if it elects someone he opposes.” He added, “and now” before pointing to Stein’s remarks on Trump’s refusal.
U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) remarked: “To be clear, Trump isn’t just trying to deny food from hungry American families. He’s breaking the law so he can deny food from hungry American families.”
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) observed, “The President is suggesting he will defy a court order so he can starve kids, seniors, veterans, and families.”
Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias wrote: “Of all the things to break the seal on defying court orders over, I thought Trump would pick something politically savvier than ‘make poor kids go hungry.'”
West Virginia House of Delegates Democratic Minority Whip Shawn Fluharty commented, “Not sure on the category we put this in … pro-life, family values, or compassionate conservatism?”
Former Obama and Biden official Alex Jacquez noted, “If anyone had any doubt as to who is responsible for SNAP benefits not going out to 42 million people.”