Trump Has Always, and Will Always, Play Politics With People’s Lives
tags
Washington, D.C. — Last week, Donald Trump descended on Hurricane ravaged Valdosta, Georgia for a photo-op where he told blatant lies about ongoing recovery efforts, but that’s just the beginning. As President, Trump denied aid, played favorites, and punished personal vendettas during extreme weather disasters, putting Americans in danger and causing even more devastation.
“While Trump spouts tired lies about the Biden-Harris Administration, we know that during his presidency, Trump used extreme weather devastation to play politics and fulfill his personal vendettas,” said Alex Glass, Managing Director of Communications at Climate Power. “Trump’s selfishness isn’t just petty, it’s dangerous.”
Under the Trump Administration, disaster relief was a nightmare:
- Trump demanded groveling and flattery in exchange for disaster relief: When he was President, Trump treated disaster aid as a “pot of cash for him to dole out as he saw fit,” often dependent on how he was treated personally by politicians in the state. Trump wanted “gracious requests” and “personal gratitude” from governors for them to receive federal disaster aid.
- Trump blocked much-needed aid to Michigan to encourage voter suppression: After two dams broke in Michigan, leading to devastating flooding, Trump threatened to withhold aid if state officials proceeded with a plan to mail absentee ballot applications to voters.
- Trump withheld aid to California until he learned how many people voted for him in the affected areas: In 2018, Trump initially withheld wildfire relief due to California’s political leanings, and only changed his mind after being shown voter maps demonstrating that heavily damaged Orange County had significant numbers of Trump supporters.
- Trump punished personal vendettas in Washington: In 2020, Trump withheld federal wildfire relief due to Washington State all because he disliked Democratic Gov. Inslee. Trump left office without approving the disaster declaration, which President Biden swiftly authorized upon entering office.
- Trump ignored North Carolinians and diverted FEMA funding to immigration enforcement: In 2017, Trump denied 99% of North Carolina’s requested funding for Hurricane Matthew, and in 2019, Trump diverted FEMA funding to immigration enforcement less than a week after Hurricane Dorian, which damaged over 1,000 homes and left thousands without power in the state.