The shutdown will halt about $8 billion a month in federal food assistance. Walmart captures 24% of all SNAP shopper spending, according to Numerator’s 2025 SNAP Evolution report—triple Kroger’s share and far ahead of Costco, Amazon and Sam’s Club.
Walmart was the first retailer to accept SNAP online in all 50 states in 2023 and launched the Walmart+ Assist program, which offers half-price memberships for those receiving aid.
“If SNAP payments stop, spending by the lowest income groups will fall,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of data and analytics firm GlobalData. “Walmart gets a plurality of the spending, so it will be hit the hardest.”
This was somewhat epiphanic for me.
I already recognized companies such as Walmart were subsidizing pay through social programs such as SNAP and essential funneling/laundering tax payer money to their executives.
This headline made me further realize they’re not only making taxpayers subsidize wages, they’ve also effectively turned the USD into a form of company scrip. While that scrip can be spent at some other locations I bet a large percent of funneled right back to e.g. Walmart itself. If you already work at Walmart it makes spending your SNAP benefit there easier.
the USDA is operated by thousands of people, the head is appointed by trump.
if the head of the usda is facing jail for contempt vs maybe getting fired, he’ll fund snap.
and that’s exactly what happened today, ebt was funded. trump is appealing but the money is there.
my state funded it and was waiting for a commitment by the usda, apparently they got it.
trump and his administration have complied with other court orders, they’ve defied some… but they eventually give in when appeals run out.
a big part of the shutdown is that they’ve slipped in legislation to strip judges of their powers to enforce their orders… such as nationwide injunctions, holding people in contempt, and sending federal marshals out to arrest people in contempt of court… they currently still have those powers.
it’s quite complicated.
Was it the head of the USDA withholding funds? I was under the impression that the administration said there were no funds, and then there was no way to release the funds, and then that it would be too complex to do so with any expediency.
Why are they appealing the ruling, do you think?
The head of the USDA does what Trump says or she gets fired… but she’s still the one with direct control.
The USDA already has a contingency fund, for this very sort of thing. They were refusing to fund SNAP until a judge forced them too…. they had this money set aside before the government shutdown, and December is still uncertain.
Why they’re appealing it is, id assume, what they’ve been saying about hating all social safety net type programs, and really it’s about rich people paying taxes….
they’re vindictive enough to use any opportunity to fuck with any program as much as they can get away with…
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/usda-tells-states-snap-benefits-shutdown-00642403