Trump didn't say what he said about SNAP, says White House

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spun a tall tale during Tuesday’s press briefing when asked about President Donald Trump’s Truth Social rant about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The post contradicted his administration’s pledge to partially comply with two federal court orders to fund SNAP during the GOP-created government shutdown. 

“No, the administration is fully complying with the court order[s],” Leavitt told reporters. “I just spoke to the president about it. The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it's going to take some time to receive this money, because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position. We are digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies, catastrophes—for war.”

Leavitt went on to claim that Trump—who wrote that SNAP benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government”—was actually referring to his reluctance to use emergency funds in the future, not to what he had literally written. 

“Democrats are holding it up and making it difficult for the administration to get those payments out the door,” Leavitt added, again shifting blame for the Republican-controlled Congress’ massive cuts to the food assistance program and its ongoing failure to fund the government.