Trump Continues to Play Politics with Disaster Aid as He Heads to California and North Carolina Today Arrow

Donald Trump is treating families recovering from disaster as political pawns so he can get "everything we want" in his tax bill to benefit the rich

Today, as Donald Trump makes his first visits as president to disaster-struck Los Angeles and still-recovering western North Carolina, he continues to treat families trying to recover as pawns in his tax handouts for the rich, and even suggested that the federal government should abandon states in their times of need - straight out of the Project 2025 playbook.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold disaster funding for California, threatening to use it as a bargaining chip to force through a tax cut that only benefits the ultra-wealthy in the reconciliation bill so Republicans can "get everything they want" and now tying it to debunked water management theories.

Early this week, Trump went on Sean Hannity to attack FEMA and said that he wants states to be on their own after natural disasters, straight out of the Project 2025 playbook which suggests "reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government."

In his first term, Donald Trump deliberately tried to withhold aid from blue states for the sole purpose of revenge and retribution.

This is a stark contrast to the tireless work of the Biden-Harris administration which showed up for families in crisis, providing billions in federal assistance for Hurricane Helene response and recovery.

In response to Trump continuing to threaten federal disaster aid, DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale issued the following statement:

"When Americans are recovering from a disaster, there should be no red states and blue states. But Donald Trump doesn't understand what it means to lead, and he is once again playing politics in the midst of a crisis, treating families in need as a bargaining chip to force his tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy through Congress. Trump is now even threatening to abandon states entirely, pulling all federal aid for disaster response. It's time for Trump to stop putting his billionaire donors ahead of the American people and do his job."

Trump is threatening to play politics with disaster relief, suggesting tying it to his reconciliation bill so he can get "everything we want."

Trump: "If you add Los Angeles into it then you can really do one, big beautiful bill because frankly they want that so badly. They want the money to go out there so badly. And I don't think we should do a bill until Los Angeles is included, and when Los Angeles is included, we get everything we want."

Earlier this week, Mike Johnson refused to rule out "strings" on disaster aid in the latest example of Republicans playing politics with billions in relief.

Kristen Welker: "Can you commit that California disaster relief won't have strings attached?"

Mike Johnson: "No, I won't commit to that."

Following Trump's lead, a chorus of Republicans say they want to put conditions on wildfire aid to California.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso: "I expect that there will be strings attached to money that is ultimately approved."

Washington Post: "Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) said California and other Democratic-controlled states would need to atone for 'bad behavior' if they wanted federal assistance."

The Hill: "Tuberville says California doesn't 'deserve' funding after wildfires unless it makes 'some changes'"

The Daily Beast: "Republicans: We Want 'Strings Attached' to California Fire Aid"

Just weeks ago, Speaker Johnson went along with Trump's orders to break a bipartisan agreement, threatening a government shutdown and critical disaster relief funding in the process.

John Bresnahan, Punchbowl News: "New: Trump is telling Republican senators that he is totally opposed to the CR & believes Mike Johnson has mishandling the situation"

Lawrence Jones III, Fox News: "I just spoke with the President-Elect @realDonaldTrump, and he is 'totally against' the proposed CR."

NBC News: "President-elect Donald Trump excoriated a bipartisan government funding bill Wednesday afternoon, throwing the stopgap measure into chaos just as leaders of both parties were hoping to pass it."

CBS News: "The new stopgap measure, with approval from the House, Senate and President Biden, would keep the government funded through March 14, giving lawmakers more time to reach agreement on new spending bills when the GOP controls both the House and the Senate."

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