President Trump Approves Over $846 Million in Disaster Aid for Nine States

President Trump announced approval of more than $846 million in federal disaster relief funds for nine states on Tuesday evening. The announcements were made in a series of social media posts that also included references to endorsed candidates in upcoming state elections.

One post stated that Louisiana would receive $8.6 million. The same post listed several state and federal officeholders from the state. All nine states that received approvals voted for President Trump in 2024. The two largest amounts went to Florida at $415.9 million for severe storms and Georgia at $318.3 million for damage from Hurricane Helene.

A nonpartisan analysis of FEMA data found that nearly 84 percent of disaster requests from states that voted for President Trump in 2024 were approved. The same analysis showed about 42 percent of requests from states that voted for Kamala Harris were approved.

A White House spokeswoman stated that the president conducts a more thorough review of requests than prior administrations and ensures federal funds supplement rather than replace state obligations. The spokeswoman also said there is no politicization of decisions, contrasting the current process with actions under the prior administration.

Democratic senators sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget on June 16 requesting more information on the review process for disaster declarations. Six of the nine states receiving aid hold gubernatorial elections this year. President Trump endorsed candidates in all six of those races.