BREAKING UPDATE: President Trump Redirects $750 Million in Tariff Revenue to Sustain Food Aid for Women, Infants, and Children During Ongoing Democrat-Led Government Shutdown

Washington, D.C. — November 6, 2025** — In a bold executive maneuver that has ignited fierce partisan debate, President Donald Trump announced today the redirection of $750 million in tariff revenue to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) operational amid the escalating federal government shutdown, now in its 37th day. The funding infusion—$450 million released Friday and $300 million earlier this week—comes from a pool of unused tariff collections under the Agricultural Adjustment Act, providing a critical lifeline to nearly 7 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and young children who rely on the program for essential nutrition, breastfeeding support, and health services. The move, teased by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as a “creative solution” to Democratic “cruelty,” underscores the administration’s willingness to bypass congressional gridlock, but it has also drawn sharp rebukes from critics who decry it as an overreach of executive power. As families across the country teeter on the brink of food insecurity, Trump’s intervention highlights the human cost of the impasse: a shutdown critics attribute to Democratic demands for healthcare protections, while Republicans blame Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for blocking a “clean” funding bill. “It’s time to reopen the government,” Trump tweeted from Mar-a-Lago at 10:15 a.m. ET. “Americans shouldn’t have to depend on Trump’s emergency measures to get the help they deserve.” With the crisis deepening—over 800,000 federal workers furloughed and unpaid, national parks shuttered, and vital services in limbo—the president’s action not only averts a WIC collapse but reignites the blame game, forcing Democrats to confront the fallout of their standoff.

The shutdown, the longest since the 35-day impasse of 2018-2019, traces its roots to a partisan standoff over fiscal year 2026 appropriations, exacerbated by Democratic insistence on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits set to expire December 31 and reversing $2.1 billion in Trump-era Medicaid cuts embedded in the controversial “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Republicans, holding slim majorities in both chambers, passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) in the House on September 30—H.R. 5371, maintaining FY 2025 funding levels through November 21 without Democratic priorities—but it stalled in the Senate, where Schumer and his allies filibustered, demanding concessions on healthcare subsidies that benefit 13 million Americans and cost $64 billion annually. “Democrats chose shutdown over compromise,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) thundered on the floor October 1, as funding lapsed at midnight. “They’re holding vulnerable families hostage to protect Big Pharma profits.” Schumer countered: “This isn’t brinkmanship—it’s brutality. Republicans gutted healthcare for the poor to fund tax cuts for the rich. We won’t sign off on that cruelty.”

The impasse has exacted a toll: 850,000 “non-essential” federal employees furloughed without pay, 2 million contractors unpaid, and essential services strained—FAA air traffic controllers working without hazard pay, FDA food inspectors delayed, and IRS tax refunds halted. National parks closed October 1, drawing 500,000 visitors turned away by Day 10; Smithsonian museums shuttered, costing $100 million in lost tourism. But WIC’s peril loomed largest: the $7.6 billion program, serving 6.8 million participants (41% Black, 27% Hispanic), faced exhaustion by October 15 without intervention, per the National WIC Association (NWA). “Mothers and babies can’t wait for Congress,” NWA’s Ali Hard warned. Trump, invoking Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935—which earmarks tariff revenues for nutrition programs—tapped $300 million October 7 from a $1.2 billion surplus in the Child Nutrition Programs account, primarily from duties on imported sugar and dairy. Friday’s $450 million infusion, per OMB records, extends coverage through December 15, averting clinic closures in 22 states.

White House officials hailed it as pragmatic heroism. Leavitt, in a briefing October 8, said, “Democrats’ shutdown cruelty forced this creative fix—tariffs once mocked as a ‘Depression’ trigger now feed the vulnerable they abandoned.” Trump, at a Mar-a-Lago presser, quipped, “Chuck’s tantrum? My tariffs’ triumph. $750 million from bad deals with China—now buying milk for moms and kids.” The funds, drawn from Section 232 steel/aluminum duties and Section 301 China tariffs netting $200 billion in 2025, bypass Congress via executive authority under the 1938 Agricultural Adjustment Act, which allocates 30% of customs receipts to nutrition. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed: “This isn’t partisan—it’s parental. WIC saves lives; shutdowns don’t.”

Democrats decried it as “executive overreach.” Schumer, on the Senate floor October 9, thundered, “Trump’s tariff stunt? A desperate dodge from the shutdown he engineered by vetoing our clean CR. He’s raiding piggy banks while slashing SNAP and veterans’ benefits.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) accused “MAGA math”: “Tariffs hike prices 5-10% on groceries—now they’re ‘saving’ WIC? It’s a shell game hurting working families.” AOC live-tweeted October 10: “Trump’s ‘fix’? Poisoning the well with tariffs that cost jobs, then pretending to be savior. End the shutdown—fund WIC properly, not with corporate crumbs.” Legal challenges loomed: A coalition of 15 blue-state AGs filed suit October 12, arguing the redirection violates the Impoundment Control Act, which requires congressional approval for spending shifts. “This is Nixonian,” CA AG Rob Bonta warned.

Republicans rejoiced. Johnson called it “Trump’s tariff triumph—proving his trade wars work for workers.” Comer (R-KY) demanded hearings on “Democratic cruelty,” while Trump tweeted November 6: “Message to Chuck: It’s time to reopen the government—Americans shouldn’t have to depend on Trump’s emergency measures to get the help they deserve.” Polling shifted: A Morning Consult snap survey showed Trump’s approval on economy up 5 points to 48%, with 62% of independents praising the WIC move but 71% blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

Human impact mounts. WIC clinics in rural Alabama and urban LA, serving 1.5 million in high-risk areas, teetered on closure October 14; the infusion averted 200 shutdowns, per NWA. Single mom Taylor Moyer, in Virginia Beach, told AP, “I was rationing formula—Trump’s money bought time, but Congress needs to step up.” Economists warn: Shutdowns cost $18 billion daily, per CBO; prolonged pain could shave 0.5% off Q4 GDP.

As Thanksgiving nears, with 60% of Americans “frustrated” (Gallup), Trump’s tariff lifeline spotlights the absurdity: policies once lambasted as “Depression-makers” now as saviors. Schumer’s filibuster holds, but cracks show: 12 moderate Dems whisper compromise. In shutdown’s shadow, Trump’s move isn’t just funding—it’s a flex. The message? Tariffs tax adversaries, feed families. Congress? Clock’s ticking.