Trump Plays Politics with Disaster Relief, Denies Aid to Political Opponents
WASHINGTON, DC – Following the Trump administration’s denial of disaster relief to three Democratic-led states while approving aid for Republican-led states, Sabotaging Our Safety blasted the use of federal emergency assistance as a partisan weapon. The administration rejected disaster declarations for Illinois, Vermont, and Maryland following severe weather in all three states led by political opponents, while approving declarations for Alaska, Nebraska, and North Dakota.
“Families across Illinois, Vermont, and Maryland are dealing with the aftermath of severe storms, destroyed homes, and decimated livelihoods while the Trump administration plays partisan games with their recovery,” said Davante Lewis, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner and Sabotaging Our Safety Advisory Council Member. “Americans in crisis deserve help regardless of their state’s political leadership. Trump is systematically dismantling the emergency infrastructure designed to protect communities when disaster strikes, abandoning people who need federal aid because they live in the wrong state.”
The first six months of 2025 saw 14 separate large-scale weather and climate disasters totalling over $100 billion in damages. Yet reporting shows that between February and June alone, Trump denied 6 of 10 disaster requests from Democratic governors while approving 14 of 15 requests from Republican governors.
In addition to the politicized disaster declaration denials, a federal judge blocked Trump’s illegal attempt to weaponize FEMA disaster relief earlier this year by making funding conditional to unrelated policy. Despite that decision, the administration continues exploiting emergency aid as a political tool.
