President Trump on Friday characterized a coming lapse in funding for food stamps as a problem that would hurt “largely Democrats,” omitting that millions of people who rely on the food subsidies reside in Republican states and districts.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was set to end on Saturday as the government shutdown enters its second month, leaving about 42 million people at risk of losing their aid. Though a federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for the program during the shutdown, it was unclear how fast the Agriculture Department could deliver benefits. Mr. Trump warned in a social media post that any food stamp benefits paid in November would “unfortunately be delayed.”
Asked about the issue as he returned to Washington from a trip to Asia, Mr. Trump urged Democrats to vote to reopen the government, adding that a loss in benefits would affect “their own people.”
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