Mamdani and Trump Strike Deal to Delay New SNAP Regulation
President Donald Trump has granted small retailers a reprieve from a new rule that required them to expand what they stock in order to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took credit for the 90-day postponement, according to Politico.
Mamdani first wrote Trump two weeks ago on behalf of the city’s bodegas, then said he followed up with a phone call.
“What I told the president was that this is a rule that, if allowed to be implemented on the timeline as it was scheduled, would be one that would throw the lives of so many working New Yorkers into a real place of anxiety and chaos,” Mamdani said.
NEW: Mamdani will announce today that he personally brokered a deal with President Trump regarding SNAP and Bodegas/corner stores stocking rules—deal will not just be for NYC but nation-wide, source familiar tells me
Formal announcement at 2:30 PM
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) November 13, 2026
“And the president took that concern seriously,” he said.
Mamdani asked for a six-month delay. Trump agreed to a 90-day delay.
The Department of Agriculture rule requires that retailers stock more varieties of fruits, dairy products, vegetables, and grains.
The National Association of Convenience Stores and National Association of Truck Stop Owners had been seeking a delay in the new rule, Politico reported.
“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 representative said.
🚨 JUST IN: NYC Mayor Mamdani announces he spoke to President Trump and POTUS has AGREED to give small business owners a SNAP extension to save them from “hardship” for at least 90 days
MAMDANI: “President Trump has DELIVERED relief to small business owners across our city and across America!”
“I want to thank the president and [Sec. Brooke Rollins].”
It’s a 90-day delay, NATIONWIDE, on the USDA’s new stocking rules for SNAP stores like bodegas and corner shops.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 13, 2026
“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,” the representative said.
Margaret Mannion, director of government affairs for NACS, said the group welcomes the delay.
“The entire industry has made it a priority for months to make this transition in a timely manner,” Mannion said in a statement.
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“This is a win for the convenience retail community and it’s a win for SNAP families. We are glad that a fair and reasonable approach will now carry the day.”
Mamdani had said that “without more time, many of these stores risked losing the ability to accept SNAP — threatening their livelihoods and making it harder for families to put food on the table,” according to the New York Post.
Congress initially passed the new rule in 2014, but since then it had been blocked in federal budget bills from taking effect until this year.
Republican lawmakers had also been pushing for the delay, according to Politico.
“If no delay is granted, tens of thousands of well-meaning retailers will be at risk of losing their SNAP authorization on day one,” a letter from six Republicans, led by Sens. Jim Justice of West Virginia and Roger Marshall of Kansas, said.
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