{"id":44908,"date":"2025-11-05T11:53:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T19:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=44908"},"modified":"2025-11-05T11:53:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T19:53:04","slug":"illegal-immoral-and-absolutely-cruel-trump-says-hell-defy-court-order-on-snap-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/05\/illegal-immoral-and-absolutely-cruel-trump-says-hell-defy-court-order-on-snap-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Illegal, Immoral, and Absolutely Cruel\u2019: Trump Says He\u2019ll Defy Court Order on SNAP Payments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Houston resident Eric Dunham approaches to receive a free lunch bag from business owner Nhan Ngo (L) and volunteers Rashida Mize (R) and Jennifer Unger at Petit Beignets and Tapioca Restaurant in Houston, Texas, on November 1, 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo by Mark Felix\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Trump had any shred of humanity in him, he would do whatever was necessary to prevent hunger and suffering in the country he claims to love,\u201d said one critic.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov 04, 2025 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In apparent open defiance of two federal court rulings, President Donald Trump<\/a> said Tuesday that his administration will not fund a key federal nutritional aid program until after the Republican government shutdown ends, leaving millions of families even more vulnerable to hunger<\/a> at a time of crisis-level<\/a> food<\/a> insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a post<\/a> on his TruthSocial network, Trump took aim at both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program<\/a> (SNAP<\/a>) and the administration of former President Joe Biden<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECOMMENDED…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"US-POLITICS-SHUTDOWN-FOOD-GOVERNMENT\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite Court Rulings, Trump Refuses to Pay Out Food Stamp Benefits to Tens of Millions<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Not Good Enough\u2019: Trump to Pay Partial November SNAP Benefits After Court Rulings<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden\u2019s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly \u2018handed\u2019 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!\u201d the president wrote. \u201cThank you for your attention to this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s message to 42 million Americans: Eat dirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to the president\u2019s post, Sen. Elizabeth Warren<\/a> (D-Mass.) wrote<\/a> on social media<\/a>, \u201cAfter a judge ordered Donald Trump<\/a> to make SNAP payments, the wannabe king declared he will defy a court order and won\u2019t help people afford groceries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s message to 42 million Americans: Eat dirt,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/embed\/did:plc:5bl2qrmv4oubrlyg7eavvjm2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3m4syj7zkrc2r?id=734472729388556&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252Ftrump-defies-courts-on-snap&colorMode=system<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seemingly contradicting Trump\u2019s claim, the White House<\/a> said<\/a> later Tuesday that the administration is complying with one of the court orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from the nonpartisan US Government Accountability Office have shown<\/a> that approximately 70% or more of working-age, non-disabled adults receiving Medicaid<\/a> and SNAP benefits work full-time\u2014defined as 35 hours or more per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, federal judges in Massachusetts<\/a> and Rhode Island ruled<\/a> against the US Department of Agriculture\u2019s refusal<\/a> to pay at least part of the $8 billion in SNAP benefits\u2014also known as food stamps\u2014to rightful beneficiaries in November via a contingency fund established by Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The administration responded<\/a> to the rulings by saying it would only fund around 50% of the total monthly benefits, while warning of likely payment delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs in the Rhode Island case\u2014represented by Democracy<\/a> Forward and the Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Rhode Island\u2014subsequently filed an emergency request<\/a> seeking a court order compelling Trump and his administration to comply with Friday\u2019s order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Trump-Vance administration continues to play politics with people\u2019s lives through failing to ensure SNAP payments are expeditiously available,\u201d Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman said in a statement Tuesday. \u201cThis is immoral and unlawful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe political posturing should stop now,\u201d Perryman added. \u201cThe administration needs to fully fund SNAP benefits so people can eat, today. 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\u2014back in court to demand that the administration acts consistent with the judge\u2019s order.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandra Gomez, executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona<\/a> (LUCHA), said ahead of a planned Tuesday press conference: \u201cIt took two court orders and mounting public pressure for the Trump administration<\/a> to fund SNAP assistance partially, which is not good enough. Arizona families in need deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDecember SNAP benefits are not guaranteed, and every day that Congress fails to act, children<\/a> will go hungry, food banks run dry, and working families will pay the price,\u201d she added. \u201cIt is time to end the shutdown, fund healthcare<\/a> and SNAP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in its 35th day, the ongoing federal government shutdown is tied for the longest in US history. Vulnerable people\u2014already reeling from record cuts to social programs to pay for tax breaks for billionaires<\/a> and corporations under the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump in July\u2014are feeling even more pain<\/a>, at a time when more than 47 million Americans, including<\/a> 1 in 5 children, are living in food insecure households<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did not receive any benefits at all… And they said there is no promise of even getting any type of benefits for November,\u201d Danielle Rodriguez, a single mother in Pennsylvania<\/a> who lost $400 in monthly SNAP aid, told<\/a> MSNBC<\/em>\u2018s Ana Cabrera Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c’Mommy, do you want my piggybank money to help with groceries?’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, I\u2019ve had to reach out to my utility companies and stuff like that to go on payments to use some of my bill money to buy groceries for me and my kids,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very stressful being a single mom of two kids. I have a 9-year-old, and she is offering her piggybank money,\u201d Rodriguez added. \u201cAnd she\u2019s like, \u2018Mommy, do you want my piggybank money to help with groceries?\u2019 And it\u2019s sad to hear my child say that to me because I\u2019m mom\u2014I\u2019m supposed to do everything. I\u2019m supposed to be their protector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitch Jones, managing director of policy and litigation at Food & Water Watch<\/a>, said in a statement: \u201cAt a time when rampant corporate consolidation has driven grocery prices sky-high, Trump continues to choose cruelty over the rule of law<\/a>. He must abide by recent court orders and immediately release SNAP aid to the millions of low-income American families suddenly hanging on the precipice of an unconscionable hunger crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Trump had any shred of humanity in him, he would do whatever was necessary to prevent hunger and suffering in the country he claims to love,\u201d Jones added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update<\/em>: This piece has been updated with the White House\u2019s statement of compliance with one of the court orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Bio ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Houston resident Eric Dunham approaches to receive a free lunch bag from business owner Nhan Ngo (L) and volunteers Rashida Mize (R) and Jennifer Unger at Petit Beignets and Tapioca Restaurant in Houston, Texas, on November 1, 2025.  (Photo by Mark Felix\/AFP via Getty Images) \u201cIf Trump had any shred… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44908"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44908"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44909,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44908\/revisions\/44909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}