Mamdani secures nationwide SNAP rule extension from Trump

Not only is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani trying to be a Democratic kingmaker in the 2028 presidential race, but apparently he’s negotiating on behalf of the nation with President Donald Trump.

Mamdani announced on Friday he secured an extension of at least 90 days, starting immediately, for the enforcement of a new rule applied to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-authorized retailers across the country. And he said it came through direct negotiations with Trump himself. 

“I want to thank the president and the secretary for their consideration of New Yorkers and the hardship that this would have imposed on millions of Americans,” Mamdani said at a press conference in City Hall in front of union members and bodega owners from across the city. “In doing this, President Trump has delivered relief to small business owners across our city and across America.”

The rule increased the minimum number of staple and perishable foods required for SNAP-authorized stores to provide and went into effect on Nov. 4. Days before the rule change was set to go into effect, the mayor sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, urging the Trump administration to postpone enforcement by six months to give businesses more time to comply with the directive. Trump seemed to have met Mamdani half way.

Mamdani has justified his positive relationship with the president, whom he once called a “fascist,” touting the benefits New Yorkers have received through their odd couple dynamic such as securing the release of a Columbia University student from federal custody. This would appear to be another notch on Mamdani’s belt.

Trump was swayed by the mayor’s plea to help New Yorkers who both operate and rely on the many bodegas affected by the rule change who would be thrown into “anxiety and chaos,” according to Mamdani.

Convenience stores and bodegas in New York City were most at risk of losing customers, and SNAP recipients a source of food, with the new ruling from the USDA, as the increased food requirements posed a challenge for businesses with limited shelf space and refrigeration capabilities. Stores unable to comply would be stripped of their SNAP authorization, making them unable to accept food stamps. 

“As a result of this extension, tens of thousands of small businesses across our city and across our nation will now have at least three more months to meet this new guidance. Three more months to procure goods, to establish relationships with purveyors, and to come into compliance,” Mamdani said.

As part of the extension, city agencies including the Department of Small Business Services will work with the USDA to conduct outreach to store owners and provide them with assistance to meet the new requirements.

Mamdani did not challenge the rule change itself and said his concerns were for bodegas and the urgency of their circumstances when asked if he had brought up its efficacy and the potential of rolling it back in his conversations with the president. He was also asked why he gave credit to Trump for the extension to a rule that will inevitably go into effect nationwide. Mamdani stated he would give credit to anyone who “takes a decision that makes life easier for working New Yorkers.”

“The president heard me. The president made the decision to create at least a 90-day extension of this, and for that, I appreciate it.”

The Trump administration defended the SNAP rule change and suggested the extension Mamdani negotiated was solely a temporary reprieve, not a rollback. 

“The convenience store lobby spent millions fighting policy that ensures children have access to more healthy foods, instead of demanding their members comply,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement to Politico on Friday. “Today, the Department will afford retailers 90 more days to get it right. Recipients, regardless of zip code and community, should have access to more than jelly and meat sticks.”