Trump stiffs Helene victims

The administration denies funds the Governor requested.

Donald Trump told us he would bring prices down on day one. He didn’t. He told us he would end the war in Ukraine on the day he took office. They’re still fighting. He told Hamas to release the hostages or else. They’re still in Gaza. And Trump told victims of Hurricane Helene they would get the support they need to rebuild. Now, he’s stiffing them.

The Trump administration denied North Carolina’s request for a 100% match from the federal government for disaster relief. FEMA sent a letter saying the aid was unwarranted despite massive cleanup and rebuilding costs that will be required. The estimated recovery cost is $60 billion, about twice the state’s annual budget. The effort will take years.

As I write this, I realize that Donald Trump shares traits with Thom Tillis. He says one thing and does another. The difference is that Tillis knows what’s right and does what’s wrong. Donald Trump doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong and really doesn’t care. He’ll just say anything.

Regardless, Republicans are setting themselves up to lose support in Western North Carolina. In the legislature, they’ve given less money than Governor Josh Stein requested. In Washington, they’ve denied people who are hurting the aid they need to heal.

Stein has clearly made hurricane relief the top priority of his administration so far. Unlike Trump and Tillis, he’s following through on his promises. He was in the mountain town of Newland when the Trump administration announce they were denying the 100% match. That’s quite a contrast.

Western North Carolina has always been an independent region of the state. Culturally, they’re very different from eastern North Carolina with fewer connections to the rest of the state. They’ve often felt ignored by Raleigh. Stein seems to be trying to give them the love they deserve as they recover from the worst natural disaster in the state’s history.

I doubt the legislative or Congressional districts are about to flip Democratic, but in a state where elections for statewide office are often decided by a few thousands votes, a relatively small number of people flipping allegiance can make a different. In 2024, western North Carolina saw a slight shift towards Democrats. Getting snubbed by Republicans in both Raleigh and Washington could make the divide even greater. Democrats need to make sure the people of WNC know who is on their side.