The president quickly committed vital funding for Republican-led Texas after last week’s deadly flooding. But Democratic-led states haven’t always received the same treatment.
The Trump administration’s selective approach to disaster relief came under renewed scrutiny this weekend, after President Donald Trump swiftly approved federal aid for flood-stricken areas of Texas — while continuing to stall or deny similar assistance to Democratic-led states.
Trump’s declaration of a major disaster in Kerr County, a Republican stronghold represented by GOP Rep. Chip Roy, was timely and appropriate. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared the announcement on social media, assuring Texans they would “get the support they need as search efforts continue and recovery begins.”
But critics argue the same urgency has been missing when it comes to disasters in blue states.
Just hours before the Texas aid announcement, Ric Grenell — Trump’s pick to oversee wildfire recovery in California — launched a political attack on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. In a post on X, Grenell said he advised Trump not to release federal aid unless California met a set of political demands related to forest management and water policy.
“The fires will happen again,” Grenell wrote. “I’ve told DJT we shouldn’t spend federal money on California if the problems aren’t fixed first.”
Trump himself has previously said he would only approve more aid for California if the state adopts strict voter ID laws — an unrelated demand that critics say amounts to political blackmail.
The pattern doesn’t end there. Trump’s FEMA denied Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s request for a major disaster declaration after a destructive bomb cyclone last November, stating it was “not warranted.” A similar request from North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein for full FEMA reimbursement following Hurricane Helene cleanup was also rejected.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of shutting down FEMA altogether by the end of hurricane season and shifting more of the disaster recovery burden to individual states.
Critics say that under Trump, disaster aid is increasingly being used as a political weapon — with relief prioritized for red states seen as loyal, while blue states are punished or left waiting.
In the aftermath of deadly floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, advocates say every American — regardless of political leadership — deserves timely federal assistance. But under Trump’s leadership, that promise appears conditional.
