"President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have dangled FEMA money to disaster-struck states during recent campaign rallies."
"The White House is using federal disaster relief as leverage while Republicans fight to keep power in Washington, with President Trump saying on one occasion that voting for Democrats could mean less money for states.
During a Monday visit to western North Carolina communities still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene two years ago, Vice President JD Vance promised more than $800 million in additional aid for the region.
But weeks earlier, President Trump had said he would withhold aid if Democrat Roy Cooper wins a hotly contested Senate fight in North Carolina.
The president immediately said he was joking, but he has linked disaster assistance there and in other states to his support for Republican candidates. States that tend to vote for Democrats have faced a longer wait for aid and seen their requests rejected more often, according to analyses of federal disaster declarations during Mr. Trump’s second term."
Scott Dance reports for the New York Times October 21, 2026.
