The White House clarified Tuesday that the Trump administration is complying with a federal court order that requires it to tap into a contingency fund to provide food benefits to tens of millions of Americans after President Trump said the aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will go out only when Democrats vote to end the ongoing government shutdown.

Missourians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will receive part of their benefits in November after the state secured federal funding.

President Trump continues to use hunger as a political weapon, depriving 40 million Americans – most of them children and the elderly – of SNAP benefits in defiance of a court order.