Famine threatens
Trump cuts food aid for 42 million Americans
Updated November 9, 2025 – 21:04Reading time: 3 minutes
The US has been in lockdown 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 administration has ordered states to reduce government aid payments for food purchases. “To the extent that states have submitted full payments for November, this is not permissible. Relevant measures must be immediately reversed,” said a memo from the responsible authority, which reports to the US Department of Agriculture and is directly impacted by the shutdown.
The backdrop is a legal tug-of-war over how much money can be paid to Snap’s program (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”) during the shutdown, which has now lasted 40 days. Snap is funded by the federal government but managed by the states. According to government figures, about 42 million people receive assistance through the program that has been in place since 1964 – mainly families with children, single parents and the elderly.
A judge in Rhode Island had previously ordered the Trump administration to pay benefits in full – even if this required the use of emergency funds during the US government shutdown.
However, the Supreme Court initially suspended the order on Friday to give the appeals court more time to review the case. This creates uncertainty as to whether and when full benefits will be paid back.
As the incomes of many people in the United States are unable to keep up with rising rents and the cost of living, Snap serves as the most important safety net in the fight against hunger – the program helps low-income households afford food. The service is loaded onto an electronic payment card that can be used to make purchases in stores.
Due to the shutdown of some government affairs during the US shutdown, only limited funds are available while the Trump administration and several states battle in court over the interpretation of funding rules. For those affected, this means uncertainty and, in practice, delays in aid payments.
The “Politico” portal cited a lawsuit filed by several states in which they accused the Trump administration of not providing clear or uniform instructions to the government in this extraordinary situation. Washington’s actions have caused “chaos,” they said.
