Key facts
- President Trump denied disaster aid to New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.
- Damage in New Jersey exceeded $84 million, surpassing the FEMA threshold of $18.5 million.
- New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island also reported damage exceeding federal qualification thresholds.
- Past reporting indicated Trump approved a significantly lower percentage of disaster requests from Democratic-led states.
- Governors of New York and Massachusetts intend to appeal the denials.
- FEMA cited a more rigorous review process for federal assistance requests.
President Trump has denied disaster aid requests from four Democratic-led states, including New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey, despite documented damage that exceeded federal thresholds for qualification. This action continues a pattern previously reported, where states with Democratic leadership received fewer disaster aid approvals compared to Republican-led states.
In New Jersey, FEMA documented $84.4 million in damages, significantly surpassing the state's qualification threshold of approximately $18.5 million. Similar discrepancies were noted in New York ($79 million in damage), Massachusetts ($45 million), and Rhode Island ($19 million), according to state officials. These denials come as President Trump has sought to reduce FEMA's role and shift disaster recovery responsibilities to the states.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey have stated their intentions to appeal the denials. Meanwhile, 15 Democratic senators, including Senator Kim, have requested documents from the White House concerning the aid allocation process. FEMA has indicated that it is employing a more stringent review process to ensure federal assistance is justified for significant weather events.