Hunger threatens
Trump cuts food aid to 42 million Americans
Updated on November 9, 2025 – 8:53 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
The USA has been in shutdown for 40 days. For millions of people, it is unclear how much support they receive for grocery shopping. The situation is chaotic.
In the ongoing budget dispute, US President Donald Trump’s government has ordered the states to reduce government aid for food purchases. “To the extent that states have already submitted full payments for November, this was not authorized. These steps must be reversed immediately,” said a memo from the responsible authority, which is under the US Department of Agriculture.
The background is a legal tug of war over how much money can be paid out for the so-called Snap program (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”) during the shutdown, which has now lasted for 40 days. Snap is federally funded but managed by states. According to government figures, around 42 million people receive help through the program, which has existed since 1964 – especially families with children, single parents and the elderly.
A judge in Rhode Island had previously ordered that the Trump administration pay out the benefits in full – even if it would have to use emergency funds. However, the Supreme Court initially suspended that order on Friday to give an appeals court more time to review the case. This left it unclear whether and when the full benefits would actually be paid out again.
Because the incomes of many people in the United States are not keeping up with rising rents and living costs, Snap serves as the most important safety net against hunger – the program helps low-income households buy food. The services are loaded onto electronic payment cards that can be used to make purchases in stores.
Because of the partial government shutdown, only limited funds are available while the Trump administration and several states fight in courts over the interpretation of funding rules. For those affected, this means uncertainty and, in practice, delays in the payment of aid.
The “Politico” portal quoted from a lawsuit filed by several states in which they accuse the Trump administration of not providing clear or uniform instructions for the administration in this exceptional situation. Washington’s moves have led to “chaos,” they say.
