Politics

Late last week, the Trump administration officially denied the state of Washington’s request for disaster aid to assist with recovery efforts related to last year’s “bomb cyclone” that killed at least two people and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses.

Last week, the administration notified North Carolina that it would no longer fully reimburse the state for funds it’s spending to recover from the devastation it suffered from Hurricane Helene last year. The move is particularly ironic considering that Trump’s pitch to North Carolina voters hinged on disinformation about the purported lack of federal aid. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein denounced the move, and North Carolina is also appealing the decision.

To put some context around these recent decisions, Trump has openly stated his desire to withhold disaster aid from California (led by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom) for the recent Los Angeles County wildfires recovery unless officials agreed to institute restrictive voting laws in the state.