Trump Delays Disaster Aid, Favoring Republican States Over Democrats
WHO:
Fast Company - President Donald Trump
Fast Company - Abigail Jackson, White House spokesperson
Fast Company - Cameron Hamilton, FEMA nominee
Fast Company - Democratic U.S. Senate and House members from Rhode Island
ABC News - President Donald Trump
ABC News - Abigail Jackson, White House spokesperson
ABC News - Cameron Hamilton, FEMA nominee
WHAT:
Fast Company - Trump has approved about 65 requests for major disaster declarations and denied more than two dozen others.
Fast Company - Trump has approved 80% of disaster requests from Republican governors and about 60% from Democratic governors.
Fast Company - Trump has approved more than three-fourths of requests from states that voted for him in the 2024 election but less than half from states that did not.
Fast Company - A batch of denials included Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island seeking federal aid for a February snowstorm.
Fast Company - Trump has taken an average of a month and a half to approve major disaster declarations.
Fast Company - 70% of Trump's approvals have taken at least a month.
ABC News - Trump has taken longer on average to approve disaster requests than any other president since 1989.
ABC News - Trump approved major disaster requests in an average of about three weeks during his first term.
ABC News - FEMA has had four different temporary leaders since Trump took office.
ABC News - A council appointed by Trump has recommended changes to FEMA that could reduce the number of major disaster declarations.
WHERE:
Fast Company - Democratic states including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
ABC News - FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
WHEN:
Fast Company - Trump took office in January 2025.
ABC News - Hamilton was fired as FEMA's acting director in May 2025.
WHY:
Fast Company - The delays and denials are part of a pattern of extreme partisanship, according to Rhode Island's Democratic representatives.
ABC News - Jackson stated that Trump conducts a more thorough review to ensure appropriate use of American tax dollars.
HOW:
Fast Company - Decisions on disaster aid are ultimately at the president's discretion.
ABC News - The council suggested revised criteria for presidential declarations, including annual minimum expenditures by states.
(UPDATED July 16, 2026 14:39 UTC)
President Trump has approved around sixty-five requests for major disaster declarations while denying more than two dozen, with a notable pattern of approving about eighty percent of requests from Republican governors compared to roughly sixty percent from Democrats. The delays in approvals have raised concerns among Democratic representatives, particularly from states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, who argue that this reflects extreme partisanship, although White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson claims Trump is ensuring the proper use of taxpayer dollars. Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has taken longer on average to approve disaster requests than any president since 1989, with FEMA experiencing leadership changes and a council suggesting new criteria for disaster declarations.