Copyright The Boston Globe
PROVIDENCE — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his administration won’t pay any food stamp benefits until the government shutdown ends, defying a court order. “SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly ‘handed’ to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” he posted on Truth Social on Tuesday. On Friday,Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the US District Court in Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from halting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And on Monday, the US Department of Agriculture said it would tap $4.65 billion in contingency funds to make partial SNAP payments in November. Advertisement Trump’s post on Tuesday was an abrupt change from his stance on Friday, when he posted that he had “instructed our lawyers to ask the court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” and “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding.” Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman responded to Trump’s Tuesday post, saying, “This is immoral. See you in court.” Tuesday’s statement came as plaintiffs on the SNAP lawsuit filed a motion asking McConnell to force the Trump administration provide full funding for the national food stamp program in November. McConnell had told the administration to either provide full SNAP funding by Monday or partial funding by Wednesday, and the plaintiffs said the administration’s response fails to meet either deadline. Advertisement “The Trump-Vance administration continues to play politics with people’s lives through failing to ensure SNAP payments are expeditiously available,” Perryman said in a statement. “This is immoral and unlawful. The political posturing should stop now.” Perryman called for the administration to fully fund SNAP benefits, saying, “We should not need to go to court to force the administration to provide food all people are entitled to in this country, but here we are — back in court to demand that the administration acts consistent with the judge’s order.” McConnell ordered the government to respond to the plaintiffs’ new motion by the end of Wednesday. And he set a hearing Thursday afternoon on the motion to enforce or to issue another temporary restraining order. This is a developing story and will be updated. Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
