President Donald Trump announced the approval of over $846 million in disaster relief funds for nine states that lean Republican. The announcement was made through a series of posts on his social media platform, where he also endorsed candidates in the upcoming elections for those states.
In one post, Trump stated, "I am pleased to announce that the Great State of Louisiana has been approved to be given $8.6 Million Dollars in its Disaster Declaration Request." He mentioned several Republican officials in Louisiana, including Governor Jeff Landry and Senator John Kennedy.
The disaster relief comes amid severe weather events across the U.S., including wildfires in Utah and flash flooding in Kentucky. According to the Urban Institute, there is a notable partisan disparity in the approval of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid requests, with approximately 84% of requests from states that voted for Trump in 2024 being approved, compared to about 42% from states that voted for Kamala Harris.
In previous instances, Trump has denied aid requests from Democratic governors, including Colorado's Jared Polis and Washington's Jay Inslee, despite documented damages. The recent approvals follow a similar pattern, as all nine states that received aid voted for Trump in the last election.
A White House spokeswoman defended the president's decisions, stating that he conducts thorough reviews of disaster requests and ensures that federal assistance is used appropriately. She contrasted this with the Biden administration, claiming that it politicized disaster relief decisions.
Democratic senators have called for greater transparency in the disaster declaration review process, expressing concerns about the criteria used by the Trump administration. They have sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget seeking clarification on the approval process.
The two largest aid allocations were for Florida, receiving $415.9 million for severe storms, and Georgia, which received $318.3 million for Hurricane Helene. Trump has endorsed candidates in gubernatorial races in six of the nine states that received aid.