Overview
- Reporters note that the president approved major disaster declarations for Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri and Alaska and highlighted in posts that he carried those states.
- Similar requests from Maryland, Vermont and Illinois were rejected, including aid sought for Maryland’s Garrett and Allegany counties that strongly supported Trump in 2024.
- Maryland officials reported roughly $33 million in flood damage in those western counties, a level cited as exceeding federal aid thresholds and affecting key roads and infrastructure.
- A Maryland administration official told Greg Sargent they informed Trump aides the hardest‑hit counties were "Trump country," a detail the official says appeared to surprise them.
- Analysts tie the pattern to broader budget choices, pointing to Russell Vought’s defunding of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub spanning Oregon, Washington and Montana, which they say undermines jobs promoted by Montana’s Republican governor.