November 3, 2025
Donald Trump says he is honored to see the court ruling prompt the release of November SNAP benefits.
Donald Trump has responded after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the USDA to move forward with releasing November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
On Oct. 31, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered the USDA to ensure November SNAP benefits are fully distributed by Nov. 3, or that partial payments are issued by Nov. 5, Newsweek reported. Shortly after the ruling, Trump voiced his support for releasing the benefits on Truth Social.
“I do not want Americans to go hungry,” Trump wrote. “[I] ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding.”
After Trump’s response, Judge McConnell added a footnote to the order recognizing the president’s role, praising his “quick and definitive response” in helping ensure timely SNAP benefit payments and describing his involvement as “greatly appreciated.”
“The court greatly appreciates the president’s quick and definitive response to this court’s order and his desire to provide the necessary SNAP funding,” U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. wrote in a court order on Nov. 1.
In his ruling, McConnell stated that the congressionally approved contingency funds “must be used now because of the shutdown.”
As of Nov. 1, the U.S. government had been shut down for 30 days, making it the second-longest in history after the 35-day 2018–2019 shutdown during Trump’s first presidency.
If the shutdown extends beyond the first week of November, it will become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The order references contingency funds from fiscal years 2024 and 2025, as well as Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, as potential sources to guarantee SNAP payments. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has argued it lacks the legal authority and sufficient funds to provide full November benefits amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The agency also stated that even if contingency funds were available, they wouldn’t cover full payments, and implementing reduced benefits nationwide would be administratively difficult. Administration lawyers noted that $5.25 billion is currently available in the program’s contingency fund, while full November payments could require at least $8.5 billion.
Following the ruling, the USDA must submit a compliance plan to the court by noon on Nov. 3. If full payments are not made, partial payments must be issued by Nov. 5. The agency could face additional enforcement actions if it misses these deadlines.
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