Recommendations of the Editorial team
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders asks President Donald TrumpThe rejection of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to rethink a decision. He is intended to enact an emergency declaration to help with dealing with the consequences of a series of destructive tornados and storms that have hit the red state in March.
Sanders, a former press spokeswoman for Trump in the White House, wrote last week a long letter to your former boss. In it, she described the damage caused by the storms. And asked him to rethink the rejection of the Fema.
“The heavy storms and tornados, which occurred on March 14 and 15, 2025, had catastrophic effects on the entire state. The sheer extent of this event led to overwhelming amounts of ruins. Extensive destruction of houses and business. The tragic loss of three human life. And injuries to many other people.”
Sanders: “Without a declaration of disaster, reconstruction is impossible”
“Less than three weeks later, Arkansas was once again hit by a second wave of heavy storms, tornados and a flood of centuries,” continued Sanders in her application. “Without the support of an explanation of the disaster area, Arkansa will have considerable difficulties to take full responsibility. And to achieve effective restoration after this event. I have come to the conclusion that the severity and the extent of these storms exceed the possibilities of the state and the affected municipal administrations.
It is not surprising that the states already have difficulties under the second Trump government to receive disaster relief. In January struck Trump pretends to abolish the authority completely. Last month the Minister of Internal Security, Kristi Noem, promised the “to abolish Fema”. And that after it in the course of a series of Leastings in the authority had come to a series of layoffs that had been promoted by the Ministry of Government Efficiency.
Systematic hurdles for auxiliary applications under Trump’s presidency
During his first term, Trump had the habit of putting disaster relief in the way of disaster relief, depending on his personal relationship with their leadership or their political orientation. The President Hold once The approval of aid for regions in California that were devastated by forest fires. Until he demonstrated to him that the people in the affected areas were actually his fans. In another case he ignored The request of the democratic governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, to combat a series of forest fires in 2020.
Politics instead of help: how personal relationships about disaster protection decide
During the 2024 election campaign accused Trump incorrectly “stolen” the Fema and the bid government of “stolen” billions of disaster aids to support migrants without papers. And that, while parts of North Carolina, which had been devastated by hurricane Helene, were left to their own devices.
When the forest fires Los Angeles devastated at the beginning of the year, put The President and his allies in the Republican Party dependent on California Aid Opportunities to comply with their own political and ideological goals. This included the enforcement of laws on voter identification and the tightening of immigration policy.
Trump and the Republicans Lechzen after the abolition of the authority. Because they believe that this could save money. Or because they want the states to take over their disaster help themselves. Or both.
Fema as an indispensable instrument for national crisis coping
But as Sanders wrote to Trump in her appeal, Arkansas is unable to cope with the reconstruction work without federal funds. The problem with natural disasters is that you do not know any national borders. And also do not check whether you are entitled to vote before you equate your house to the ground. Therefore, there is an authority like the FEMA that coordinates disaster relief when several states are affected. Some of which may not have the resources to cope with the destruction.
While Trump and Noem want to score with their plans to abolish the Fema, members of their own party are bothering them to refrain from it.