Judge blocks Trump bid to curb SNAP candy, soda purchases

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s effort to let states bar SNAP shoppers from buying sugary drinks and candy under waiver programs, a ruling that applied to Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The case was filed March 11 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by SNAP beneficiaries who challenged USDA-approved waivers and argued that the agency lacked authority to let states redefine eligible food and had skipped notice-and-comment requirements. Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the federal government could push healthier choices, but could not violate the law or its own regulations while doing it. USDA had already approved waivers in at least 23 states, creating a patchwork in which, for example, a sports drink could be SNAP-eligible in one state and barred in another.

USDA data put SNAP at an average of 41.7 million people per month in fiscal 2024, about 12.3% of U.S. residents, at a federal cost of $99.8 billion, with an average benefit of about $187 per person per month. The mismatch can complicate checkout, slow lines, and force associates to explain why the same item is covered one store over and denied in another. Dollar General operates more than 20,000 stores across the United States, and discount chains such as Dollar General and Dollar Tree depend heavily on SNAP shoppers. Those chains could face modest traffic headwinds if SNAP purchasing power falls, even though many SNAP customers still buy additional items on the same trip. The rule also set a 90-day retailer grace period tied to each state’s implementation date, giving stores time to identify compliance problems and reduce shopper frustration before enforcement begins.