Under President Donald Trump, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has turned down a request from a storm-ravaged state that narrowly voted for him three times.

Last year, Western North Carolina experienced severe destruction due to Hurricane Helene, resulting in more than 100 fatalities and leaving the city of Asheville as well as several small towns in the Appalachian Mountains grappling with recovery efforts following unprecedented flooding. During this period, individuals who supported Trump were

spread baseless conspiracy theories

that the federal government was neglecting those communities or providing assistance exclusively to Democratic regions, and Trump personally pledged to enhance emergency management.


According

According to Rolling Stone, Trump’s administration is now refusing to extend the pledge to cover the entire cost for a critical part of the recovery effort.


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“Four months into his term as governor of North Carolina, Democrat Josh Stein has joined the ranks of lawmakers from states hit by disasters who have had to plead with the president for essential assistance,” according to the report. “Last Friday, Stein took to publishing

a video

on social media informing the public that the Trump administration had denied the state’s request for

FEMA

To fulfill a pledge made during the Biden administration to cover 100 percent of the expenses related to debris removal.

FEMA is anticipated to cover 90% of the cost for debris removal, an amount the agency contends exceeds the usual 75% obligation. However, according to Stein, this proportion remains below what FEMA typically provides in comparable emergencies.

It will require a significant investment, potentially up to $2 billion, to completely clear the streets and waterways in western North Carolina,” Stein stated in the video. “This is why I requested that the federal government keep covering 100% of our cleanup expenses after the initial 180-day period, similar to how they handled Hurricanes Ike, Maria, and Katrina.

Trump rejected the state’s request, stating, “The cleanup process from west through North Carolina will end up costing local taxpayers significantly more money. Debris removal is only one aspect among many areas where assistance is desperately needed.”

Since taking unified control of government, Republicans have increasingly toyed with the idea of making political demands of areas that require disaster relief. After wildfires destroyed several neighborhoods in Los Angeles months ago, for instance, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)

repeatedly suggested

Congress should impose new policy changes in California as a condition of receiving aid to rebuild.

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