Key facts
- President Donald Trump denied federal disaster aid requests from New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.
- FEMA and NOAA had verified that the states met federal standards for aid following a record-breaking February snowstorm.
- The states collectively sought $227 million in aid for snow removal costs.
- A FEMA spokesperson stated the federal government's role is not to fund routine functions like snow removal.
- Rhode Island's validated damage estimate was $19.3 million, significantly exceeding its $2.1 million cost threshold.
President Donald Trump has rejected eligible disaster aid requests from four Democratic-led states—New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York—despite regional offices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) verifying that the states met federal standards for assistance following a record-breaking snowstorm in February.
Emails and documents obtained by POLITICO reveal that Trump overruled his own agencies, a move described as highly unusual by former officials, especially when states meet preestablished damage thresholds. The four states sought a combined $227 million in aid to cover unprecedented snow-removal costs. A NOAA report confirmed that the blizzard achieved a pinnacle ranking in historical snowstorms, with Rhode Island experiencing a 24-hour snowfall record of 37.9 inches.
While presidents have sole authority over granting federal disaster aid, Trump's rejections diverge from the actions of previous administrations, including his own in his first term, which routinely approved similar requests from governors of opposing parties. Since George W. Bush, all but one state request for snow assistance that met FEMA standards had been approved.
A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, stated that disaster requests are handled with great care to ensure aid supplements, not substitutes, state obligations, and denied any politicization. However, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill expressed concern that local governments would be burdened with the costs, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to appeal, asserting that disaster relief should not be political.
FEMA's own data shows that 82% of snow assistance paid since 1999 went to states now led by Democrats, largely due to Democrats holding power in snowy regions like New England. However, FEMA leadership had previously considered eliminating snow assistance to reduce spending, with a spokesperson questioning the federal government's role in funding routine functions like snow removal. Despite this, FEMA's New England regional office had approved Rhode Island's preliminary damage assessment at over $19 million, nine times the state's cost threshold, according to emails. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee had informed Trump that snow-removal costs had exhausted state resources and attached NOAA documentation of record-breaking snowfall.