Despite the devastation that unfolded in Maryland’s Allegany and Garrett Counties after catastrophic flooding in May, the Trump administration turned its back on a region still struggling to rebuild.
Republican President Donald Trump rejected Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) request for $15.8 million in federal disaster relief for Western Maryland, reinforcing what some see as vindictive behavior toward political adversaries.
From May 12 to 14, historic rainfall caused Georges Creek to rise to 12.4 feet, flooding homes, businesses, roads, schools, and public infrastructure. Children had to be evacuated by boat. Yet even after the state met all of FEMA’s thresholds for assistance—$321,460 for Allegany County and $11.6 million statewide—a senior FEMA official issued a vague denial, saying only that federal aid under the Stafford Act “is not warranted.”
No further reasoning was provided. No transparency. No urgency.
“These communities demonstrated a clear need through FEMA’s process, and Maryland will appeal the decision to seek all available resources to support the recovery efforts,” Moore said in a statement.
The White House’s refusal came just one day after Trump approved disaster relief for states including West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan—all of which backed him in the 2024 election. While those states have governors from both parties, political experts note that Trump’s pattern is unmistakable: reward loyalty, punish opposition.
The denial to Maryland only adds to a growing list of politically charged decisions that seem rooted more in personal grievance than in governance.
Even Maryland’s lone Republican congressman, Rep. Andy Harris, who chairs the far-right House Freedom Caucus, joined the state’s entire congressional delegation in urging the president to approve the FEMA request. After the denial, Democratic Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), issued a joint statement demanding that the administration reconsider.
“Marylanders in Allegany and Garrett Counties were hard-hit by May’s historically intense storms,” they said. “Two months after flash flooding tore through these communities, they are still in need of support to repair public schools and libraries that were inundated, roads and bridges that were washed out, and homes and businesses that were left severely damaged.”
Trump’s disregard is especially jarring given that both counties lean Republican. In turning down Moore’s request, he’s punishing communities that voted for him—simply because they reside in a state governed by a Democrat. That’s not leadership. That’s a tantrum.
Recently, the state has also been hit on other fronts. In June, Maryland lost 3,500 federal jobs, the worst monthly loss in that sector in nearly 30 years. Trump also scrapped the plan to relocate the FBI headquarters to Greenbelt, instead pledging to move it to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.
Maryland plans to appeal the FEMA denial within the 30-day window, Moore confirmed. Meanwhile, the state has allocated $459,375 from its Disaster Recovery Fund, created in 2023 but recently reduced due to budget constraints, and added $1 million through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
“We will continue to stand with our fellow Marylanders in Western Maryland as they rebuild from the damage caused in May,” Moore said.
Source: Published without changes from Washington Informer Newspaper
