Several former Trump administration officials have raised concerns about how Donald Trump may handle disaster relief efforts if he wins the 2024 presidential election.
As reported by the Guardian, they revealed that during his first term, Trump withheld disaster aid from states he viewed as politically opposed to him.
This included wildfires in California and Washington and hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.
One of the former officials, Kevin Carroll, said Trump’s decisions were influenced by partisan interests, explaining: “Trump absolutely didn’t want to give aid to California or Puerto Rico purely for partisan politics – because they didn’t vote for him.”
Carroll further described how John Kelly, then Homeland Security Secretary, had to persuade Trump to release the funds, which eventually happened only after the political calculations were in Trump’s favor.
During his presidency, Trump was known to withhold or delay aid in various disasters if he believed it would benefit his political allies or hurt his adversaries.
Olivia Troye, a former homeland security adviser, recalled how Trump refused to provide immediate federal aid to wildfire-stricken areas in Washington state in 2020.
Troye stated: “We had to sit around and brainstorm a way where he would agree to this because he looked at everything through a political lens.”
Troye also cited delays in approving disaster declarations for other crises, attributing it to Trump’s personal and political interests.
She expressed alarm at the thought of Trump returning to power without constraints, mentioning that next time, “you won’t have the integrity of Mike Pence.”
One of the most notable controversies involved Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
In 2017, nearly 3,000 people died, and federal support was slow to materialize.
Trump downplayed the death toll and halted billions of dollars in aid for the island, with Fema eventually stepping in for debris cleanup.
However, recovery efforts were criticized as mismanaged.
Months later, Trump approved 100% of Florida’s costs after Hurricane Michael, where he enjoyed political support.
The disparities in relief efforts led to widespread condemnation.
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington state commented that Trump’s refusal to help his state after wildfires was purely political.
Inslee said: “Trump consciously and maliciously withheld assistance… it’s a window into the darkness of his soul.”
Trump has continued to indicate that disaster aid may be used as a bargaining chip should he return to the White House.
Last month, Trump signaled that he might block aid to California unless Governor Gavin Newsom complies with his demands for water policies favorable to farmers.
Trump said: “If he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires, and if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.”
This has heightened concerns about the future, with Troye and Carroll warning that a Trump administration may be more difficult to sway in disaster relief decisions, particularly if he surrounds himself with loyalists.
The potential for politically motivated aid distribution remains a critical issue as the 2024 election approaches.
Former officials from the Trump administration have raised alarms about how Donald Trump may handle disaster aid if he wins the 2024 election.
The concerns stem from Trump’s history of withholding or delaying aid to states and territories he viewed as politically opposed to him.
Notably, Trump resisted providing aid after California wildfires in 2018, Washington wildfires in 2020, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.
The former president’s approach was criticized for being influenced by political considerations.
As Trump remains a key figure in the upcoming election, his previous disaster aid policies have sparked discussions about how future relief efforts may unfold under his leadership.
