Trump warns SNAP food stamp recipients are 'largely Democrats' as shutdown drags on

Aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump lashed out at journalists, claiming that most food stamp recipients are Democrats while pressuring his opponents to resolve the government shutdown.

During the government shutdown, two federal judges, Judges John McConnell of Rhode Island and Indira Talwani of Massachusetts, ruled Friday that the White House must maintain funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as Food Stamps.

Before that disclosure, Trump engaged in casual conversation with reporters on Air Force One while travelling to Mar-a-lago for his Great Gatsby-themed Halloween celebration. When questioned about the program, Trump made the unsubstantiated assertion:

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"They've lost their minds. All they have to do is say the government is open, and that's the end of it. And you know largely, when you talk about SNAP, you're talking about largely Democrats, but... I'm president. I want to help everybody. I want help Democrats and Republicans," he said.

Roughly 39 percent of all American children live in households that utilise the federally funded EBT cards, according to statistics, as Democrats and Republicans turn SNAP beneficiaries into a political battleground for coverage and spending disputes. As anticipated, states with elevated SNAP utilisation rates also generally exhibit substantial poverty levels, reports the Mirror U.S..

New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and West Virginia lead the nation in food stamp usage rates as a proportion of their populations among households, families with children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.

Due to the extended government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the SNAP program, intended to halt SNAP payments starting November 1. SNAP generally requires $8.6 billion in funding monthly to maintain operations and provide benefits to 41 million Americans.

Judge McConnell, referencing the "terror" felt by Americans struggling to meet their fundamental nutritional requirements, ruled following a one-hour emergency hearing that suspending SNAP funding is arbitrary and likely to cause irreparable damage.

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"There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occur -- if it hasn't already occurred -- in the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family," he said.

The Trump administration indicated in a subsequent filing after the judge's verbal ruling that it was "expeditiously attempting to comply" with Judge McConnell's decision. DOJ attorneys have asked McConnell to clarify his ruling to ensure they are in compliance, citing the lack of a public tape or transcript from Friday's extraordinary session.

"Clarity as to the Court's ruling is critical to ensure that Defendants can comply with the Court's order while avoiding an operational collapse," wrote the DOJ lawyers.

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Judge McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to inform the court about SNAP funding by Monday and continue supporting the program using emergency funds.

Judge McConnell ruled that the decision to withhold SNAP funding was arbitrary and capricious, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. She stated, "there has been no explanation, legitimate or otherwise that's consistent with the APA as to why the contingency funds should not be used."