Trump instructs lawyers to ask courts how to fund food assistance program during shutdown

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump instructed lawyers on Friday to seek guidance from the courts on how to legally fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown.

"I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

It came after two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use emergency funds to partially finance food stamp benefits for tens of millions of low-income Americans in November.

"Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do," Trump wrote.

He noted that he does not want Americans to go hungry "just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing" by reopening the government.

"If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay," Trump added.

He urged Democrats to stop the "charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons," and urged those who benefit from SNAP to "call the Senate Democrats, and tell them to reopen the Government."

The shutdown, the second-longest in US history, began Oct. 1 after a breakdown in negotiations on federal spending priorities.