The claim that President Trump used $750 million in tariff revenue to keep food assistance running for women, infants, and children is mostly true because multiple reliable sources confirm that the Trump administration redirected approximately $300 million earlier and an additional $450 million later from unused tariff revenue to fund the WIC program during the government shutdown, although some reports clarify this was a temporary stopgap rather than a permanent funding solution.
Mostly True
President Trump just used $750 MILLION in tariff revenue to keep food assistance running for women, infants, and children during the Democrat shutdown. $450M was deployed Friday, on top of $300M earlier this week.
Trump Tariffs: The Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War
Source: taxfoundation.org
At a glance
Verified November 5, 2025Key Evidence
Reports from Reuters and LiveNOW FOX confirm $450 million was transferred on a Friday after an earlier $300 million transfer to WIC from tariff revenues.
Factually.co fact-checks affirm that $300 million was redirected earlier and an additional amount later, totaling around $750 million used specifically for WIC.
The New York Times documents the administration's efforts to maintain food assistance during the shutdown using available funds including tariffs.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Multiple credible sources report that during the government shutdown in 2025, the Trump administration took action to prevent disruption of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by using unused tariff revenue. Specifically, about $300 million was redirected earlier in the week, followed by an additional $450 million transfer on a Friday, totaling approximately $750 million. This funding was drawn from Section 232 tariff revenues and was intended as a temporary measure to keep WIC operational amid funding gaps caused by the shutdown.
Fact-checking sources note that while the administration considered using tariff revenue for SNAP benefits as well, it did not transfer funds to SNAP but focused on WIC. The use of tariff revenue for this purpose raised some legal questions and was described as a creative but stopgap solution rather than a permanent fix. The New York Times and Reuters confirm the timing and amounts of these transfers.
Some sources emphasize that this funding was specifically targeted at WIC and not broader food assistance programs like SNAP. The claim's core about $750 million being used from tariffs to keep food assistance running for women and children aligns with documented transfers but should be understood in the context of temporary emergency funding during a shutdown rather than a routine budgetary practice.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source