Trump Weaponizes Disaster Relief While Gutting Emergency Response

Aug 7

Written By Max Levy

Disaster relief has become a partisan weapon instead of emergency aid for Americans in crisis.
A June 2025 NPR analysis reveals Trump’s partisan pattern: He has denied 6 of 10 major-disaster requests from Democratic governors while approving 14 of 15 requests from Republican governors since February.
The contrast is stark. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott praised Trump’s “swift and very robust action” on Texas flood relief, while Trump denied Maryland’s $15.8 million request following devastating May floods.

Trump proposed eliminating FEMA entirely and has already slashed 20% of FEMA’s staff while freezing critical emergency funds.
The administration cancelled FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and removed Flood Mitigation Assistance funding for 2025, eliminating $4.6 billion for protection.
New bureaucratic requirements are causing deadly delays. Secretary Kristi Noem’s approval is now required for contracts over $100,000, which delayed Urban Search and Rescue deployment for more than 72 hours during the Texas floods.

Trump is abandoning Americans when they need help most while dismantling the systems that save lives.
Wyoming’s disaster response office relies on federal funding for 92% of its budget and cannot function without federal support.
A former FEMA official warns that “states do not have the capacity to handle these extraordinary events” without federal coordination and resources.
Twenty states are suing the administration over disaster preparedness cuts they call
“devastating” to communities nationwide.

Trump is weaponizing disaster relief to reward Republican allies while punishing Democratic states. He’s systematically destroying America’s emergency response capabilities while handing out massive tax cuts to billionaires.
Americans are dying in floods and fires while Trump plays politics with their lives. Americans deserve a president who protects everyone, not just his political friends.

Abbott Exploits Floods for Political Gain While Texans Suffer