SNAP Benefit Freeze: MA Pols React As President Trump Threatens To Defy Court Order

MASSACHUSETTS — Elected Democrats in Massachusetts were quick to react with outrage on Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on social media that he would defy federal court orders in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and continue to withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds as long as the federal government shutdown is in place.

On Monday, the courts ruled that Trump must use contingency funds to extend the payments after they were set to be frozen as of the start of November on Saturday. The Trump Administration indicated that it intended to comply with the ruling and partially fund the program that serves 1 in 8 Americans nationwide.

• Trump Administration To Partially Pay SNAP Benefits: What It Means For MA
• 'This Is A Moment For Coming Together': Gov. Maura Healey Makes SNAP Freeze Donation Plea
• MA Attorney General Campbell Sues Trump Administration For SNAP Funding Freeze

But he appeared to reverse course on Tuesday, writing on Truth Social that benefits will be only given "when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!

"SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly 'handed' to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!)."

Massachusetts Democrats were quick to react, with Democratic Whip Katerine Clark writing on X: "Trump is holding millions of hungry families hostage, unless he can take away their health care. Meanwhile, he's throwing lavish parties, building a ballroom for himself, and sending $40 billion to Argentina.

"It's as sickening as it is illegal."

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton — a recently declared candidate for U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's seat in next year's election — responded: "Millions of kids, seniors, and veterans rely on SNAP to eat. Defying a court order to block their benefits isn’t just illegal, it's cruel. No one should go hungry because of political games."

Gov. Maura Healey last week called on the Trump Administration to fully fund SNAP benefits as she committed $4 million in state resources to help food banks make up some of the shortfall. She said the state could not shoulder the entire cost of SNAP benefits for its residents.

Healey said on Monday that the Trump Administration still has not informed states about how much SNAP funding they will get and when it will be made available.

NBC News reported the administration plans to use all $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover about half of each eligible household's SNAP benefits this month. The administration said it would need at least $4 billion in additional government funds to provide full SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

"It's time for Donald Trump to distribute SNAP funds and GOP leaders to work in a bipartisan way to protect Americans' benefits and reopen the government," said U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan while speaking about food donation efforts in Fitchburg on Tuesday. "I'm grateful to communities like Fitchburg that are stepping up to feed families, seniors and veterans. But this shouldn't have to happen."

Republicans have urged Democrats to vote on a clean government funding bill, while Democrats have held out for the extension of Obamacare health care subsidies.

"Republicans give every tax break and giveaway they can think of to greedy billionaires and then tell Americans we have to pick between food and healthcare," U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern said. "It's a false choice and I reject it."

Last week, Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell joined a group of 26 states in suing the Trump administration, claiming the USDA unlawfully suspended SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown, a lawsuit that was the basis of a Massachusetts court ruling ordering that
benefits are paid.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.