MEMO: Trump’s Politicization of Disaster Aid Hangs Over First Presidential Trip

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Lori Lodes, Executive Director, Climate Power

DATE: January 23, 2025

RE: Trump’s Politicization of Disaster Aid Hangs Over First Presidential Trip

As President Trump prepares to tour the damage from climate catastrophes in Western North Carolina and Southern California on Friday, his long record of playing politics with disaster relief – and his ongoing weaponization of these tragedies – casts a dark shadow.

In his first term, Trump repeatedly withheld urgent federal aid from communities facing extreme weather disasters –– including relief for deadly hurricanes in North Carolina and wildfires in California, releasing the latter only after senior aides convinced him that many of those suffering voted for him.

And Trump is only ratcheting up his disaster exploitation. He used his inaugural address to smear the public servants and first responders on the frontlines and has openly said he intends to leverage the devastation in Los Angeles for partisan gain, holding relief funding hostage to advance his unpopular political agenda.

Trump’s Record of Disaster Politicking in North Carolina:

Trump’s Record of Disaster Politicking in California:

The Main Takeaway: Donald Trump is now president, and families who have lost everything cannot afford to wait while political debates delay life-saving resources. Americans across the country – from North Carolina to California – need leadership who will set aside politics and provide aid in times of disaster and crisis.