Why Hasn’t Trump Visited Communities Impacted by Disasters?

Washington, D.C. — It’s now been one week since a series of deadly storms across the country devastated communities and killed at least 42 people in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and other areas across the West and Midwest, and Donald Trump still hasn’t visited any of the impacted areas. Instead of meeting with the Americans whose lives have been upended, Trump hosted oil and gas executives at the White House and continued cutting programs that help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather. 

Climate Power communications director Alex Glass issued the following statement: 

“Donald Trump has time to roll out the red carpet for oil and gas billionaires, but not to visit storm victims whose lives have just been upended. Many of these communities voted for Trump, but he’s risking making their lives harder and more expensive by threatening to gut life-saving weather alerts and relief to help them recover. Trump’s priorities are clear: billionaire donors matter, struggling Americans are on their own.”

REMEMBER: During Trump’s first term, he withheld disaster aid from communities based on their political leanings. 

Where Trump has been while he’s been ignoring disaster survivors: 

Trump has planned to drastically cut a Department of Housing and Urban Development office that pays to rebuild homes after natural disasters.

Trump didn’t visit Kentucky after extreme flooding devasted communities and killed at least 22 people. 

Trump invited his Big Oil billionaire donors to a closed-door meeting at the White House so he could give them more items from their wishlist. 

Trump has gutted federal disaster relief which helps communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather.