After Trump Declares No SNAP Payments, Leavitt Says Aid Is Still Coming

November 5, 2025 — Washington, D.C. – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the Trump administration is “fully complying with the court order” requiring the government to pay out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — even after President Donald Trump publicly claimed that no benefits would be distributed until Democrats vote to reopen the government.

The conflicting statements come as the shutdown ties the record for the longest in U.S. history and SNAP funding remains a flashpoint in the standoff.

“The administration is fully complying with the court order,” Leavitt told reporters during Tuesday’s press briefing. “I just spoke to the president about it. 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.”

Leavitt said the administration is “digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies, catastrophes, or war” and that Trump’s social-media post referred to his reluctance to exhaust that fund further.

“The Department of Agriculture, as for the latest SNAP payment and the judge’s order, put out guidance to states today on how to get that money to recipients. But it’s going to take some time,” she added.

Trump’s post adds fuel to confusion

Earlier Tuesday, President Trump posted on his social-media platform Truth Social, writing:

“SNAP benefits will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government — which they can easily do — and not before!”

The message appeared to contradict a federal court order issued last week directing the administration to release partial SNAP payments immediately from USDA contingency funds. The Department of Agriculture confirmed in a filing that it would spend $4.65 billion to cover roughly half of eligible households’ November allotments — but warned the process could take weeks or even months.

ABC News pressed both the White House and the USDA for clarification following the president’s post. Leavitt later sought to resolve the mixed messaging, saying the administration’s position “hasn’t changed” and that the USDA was moving forward with payments.

SNAP becomes a symbol of the shutdown

The fight over SNAP funding has become one of the most visible consequences of the government shutdown, now entering its 35th day. Millions of low-income Americans rely on the program to buy groceries each month, and states have warned that delays could deepen hunger and strain food banks.

• The USDA says it is working with state agencies to modify their systems to deliver reduced benefits.
• Federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the administration to use emergency funds to continue payments despite the shutdown.
• Democrats argue the administration could fully fund SNAP if it tapped additional emergency reserves — something it has so far refused to do.

Read more background:

• Funding SNAP could take months, Trump admin official says
• Klobuchar on partial SNAP funding: “It is not enough to do the bare minimum”
• Trump administration to use emergency funds for SNAP — partial food-aid payments begin today

Bottom line

• The White House says it will comply with the court order to pay SNAP benefits.
• The president’s online comments suggested otherwise, creating fresh confusion.
• USDA officials confirm that partial benefits are being processed, but delays may last weeks.

As the shutdown drags past the record-tying mark, the fight over food aid captures the broader tension: a government technically functioning — yet unable to feed its own people on time.