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.

President Donald Trump caused some confusion earlier Tuesday when he appeared to threaten SNAP benefits unless Democrats voted to reopen the government — despite court orders mandating that the admin...

Any disruption to the system could have far-reaching implications, not only for the program’s beneficiaries but also for retailers and consumers nationwide.