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The Trump administration previously indicated it would pay SNAP benefits during a shutdown. Fox is defending its new refusal to do so.

Written by Zachary Pleat

Published

Fox News is backing the Trump administration’s decision to reverse its own original guidance, as well as precedent from President Donald Trump’s first term, by refusing to pay out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (also known as food stamps) in November. Instead, the pro-Trump echo chamber is blaming Democrats for the administration jeopardizing food assistance to over 40 million Americans, most of whom are children or seniors, who rely on the program.

A contingency fund exists that could pay for at least partial monthly benefits in the event of an emergency, which the Trump administration previously argued would include a lapse in appropriations.

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  • Fox figures and the Trump administration argue “the well has run dry” when it comes to funding SNAP benefits in November

    • On October 24, Axios reported on a new memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture declaring that the administration will not fund SNAP benefits for November. The memo claims that “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits.” Axios’ report explained that the memo “is the latest salvo in a string of memos and legal opinions designed to pressure Democrats into approving a ‘clean CR,’ or continuing resolution, to fund the government.” [Axios, 10/24/25; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Impact of the Government Lapse on November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Household Benefits, accessed 10/30/25]
    • The USDA website posted a notice blaming Democrats for its refusal to pay out the benefits, declaring that “the well has run dry.” [United States Department of Agriculture, accessed 10/29/25; Axios, 10/27/25]
    • Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt pushed the administration’s claim that the SNAP contingency fund is “only for emergency uses only. You can only use it for, like, a natural disaster.” Earhardt continued: “The USDA said that because the contingency fund is only to be used for emergencies, not a shutdown that’s manufactured by the Democrats, if they spent that money, it would be illegal.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/27/25]
    • Earhardt: If the Trump administration used contingency funds “for a shutdown … that would be illegal.” Earhardt said, “When you hear the Democrats say the money is there for the SNAP program, it is there in a contingency form. There are millions of dollars in that, but it can only be used, right, for natural disasters. If they used it for a shutdown caused by the Democrats when all they have to do is go and vote to make it all open up again, that would be illegal.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/29/25]
    • Fox host Sean Hannity said on his radio show: “The well has run dry according to the Agriculture Department. They posted a stunning notice that SNAP benefits are going to be ending.” Hannity continued: “That means no food assistance benefits issued on November 1 because of the Democratic-induced shutdown here. And millions are facing, you know, real hunger possibilities.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 10/27/25]
    • Fox senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram: “Democrats are blasting the administration for not tapping special funds to cover SNAP benefits. However, the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says her department does not have access to that money.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 10/29/25]

  • But the Trump administration previously stated that it could use contingency funding to pay benefits, and some experts argue it is required to do so

    • Axios: The new USDA memo “was an apparent departure from its Sept. 30 shutdown plan (which has since been taken down) that stated, ‘Congressional intent is evident that SNAP's operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds.’” The USDA’s shutdown plan also stated: “These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.” [Axios, 10/27/25; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Lapse of Funding Plan (as of September 30, 2025), accessed 10/29/25]
    • A day prior to Axios’ report on the new memo, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Fox Business: “The president has made a priority to, at least for the short term, continue funding programs like WIC, and food stamps, or SNAP.” [Fox Business, Mornings with Maria, 10/23/25]
    • Georgetown University law and economics professor David A. Super: “Congress provided a contingency fund for precisely this.” Super further explained to The American Prospect that the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 clearly states that the administration must pay out SNAP benefits: “There are no ifs, ands, or ors there. … I don’t know how Congress could have written it more clearly.” And The American Prospect cited the following language from the 2008 law: Benefits “shall be furnished to all eligible households who make application for such participation.” It also cited language from a 2024 law that funded SNAP, which required that several billion dollars “shall be placed in reserve” annually for “such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations.” [The American Prospect, 10/29/25]
    • Center for American Progress’ Senior Director of Federal Budget Policy Bobby Kogan: “SNAP is not set to run out of money on November 1. There’s money in the contingency fund to pay benefits. The Trump admin is illegally refusing to deliver benefits on November 1, despite having funding to pay benefits.” In a separate post, Kogan added: “The same admin, by the way, that posted guidance on September 30 saying they could use the money in the SNAP contingency fund — but then deleted that guidance on October 23 and now is saying they can’t.” [Twitter/X, 10/29/25, 10/29/25]
    • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “The Administration is legally required to use contingency reserves ... to fund November benefits.” In an October 23 statement, CBPP president and former Office of Management and Budget official Sharon Parrott refuted “unequivocally false” claims from the Trump administration that it is unable to fund November SNAP benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Parrott continued, “The Administration itself admits these reserves are available for use. It could have, and should have, taken steps weeks ago to be ready to use these funds. Instead, it may choose not to use them in an effort to gain political advantage.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10/23/25]
    • Reuters: During a shutdown in Trump’s first term, “Trump's USDA officials argued to Congress' nonpartisan watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, that contingency funds could be used for benefits.” The Reuters article added: “Cindy Long, national adviser at professional services firm Manatt and 30-year USDA veteran who helped lead nutrition programs, said the agency in the past had routinely planned to draw on the contingency funds for benefits if needed.” [Reuters, 10/29/25]
    • A federal judge has indicated that she will likely order the Trump administration to use the contingency fund to pay some benefits: “Congress has put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency.” According to The Washington Post, at a hearing in litigation over the Agriculture Department’s refusal to pay SNAP benefits using contingency funds, Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts made clear that it is the administration's responsibility to pay SNAP benefits in November, stating: “Congress told you what to do if there is no money. … You need to figure out how to stretch that emergency money for now.” [The Washington Post, 10/30/25]