Trump Seeks Court Clarity on SNAP Funding Amid Prolonged Government Shutdown

By Eric Mack | Friday, 31 October 2025 06:40 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration is pursuing immediate legal guidance to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the ongoing government shutdown.

“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,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.

Trump emphasized his commitment to ensuring that approximately 42 million SNAP recipients continue receiving benefits as the Democratic-led shutdown enters its second month. “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” he wrote.

The president directed his legal team to seek court clarification on how to fund SNAP promptly, citing prior actions to support military and law enforcement pay. Trump criticized Senate Democrats, particularly Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for delaying benefits and urged recipients to contact lawmakers to end the shutdown. “The Democrats should quit this charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons,” he added, providing Schumer’s office number as a call to action.