Mark Harvey, a former aide to President Donald Trump, recently revealed that Trump initially hesitated to provide disaster relief to California due to its Democratic leadership. According to an article by Politico’s E&E News, Harvey, who served as the senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council, had to point out that many Trump supporters were affected by the devastating 2018 wildfires in Orange County before Trump changed his mind about assistance.
“We even checked the voting statistics in those areas to show him these are people who voted for you,” Harvey stated.
Historically, Orange County has leaned Republican, but recent elections tell a different story. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won with 50.9 percent of the votes compared to Trump’s 42.3 percent. The trend continued in 2020 when Joe Biden received 53.5 percent support while Trump garnered 44.5 percent.
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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection noted that the 2018 wildfire season was catastrophic, with over 7,500 fires ravaging more than 1.67 million acres, marking it as the most destructive season on record.
Harvey has since voiced his support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and voiced criticism towards Trump, aligning with Olivia Troye, another former aide who corroborated Harvey’s claims about wildfire response. Just last month, Harvey signed a letter denouncing Trump as “unfit to serve.”
Troye, who served as homeland security adviser during the Trump administration, criticized Trump for politicizing Hurricane Helene. This hurricane recently tore through the Southeast, causing over 200 fatalities and massive power outages.
During a visit to Valdosta, Georgia, Trump alleged that Governor Brian Kemp struggled to reach Biden about federal aid post-Hurricane Helene. However, Kemp had already spoken with Biden, who assured him that aid was forthcoming.
Biden responded to Trump, saying, “He’s lying, and the governor told him he was lying,” emphasizing that Trump’s claims were false and irresponsible.
On Twitter, Biden later addressed the larger issue of disaster relief, stating, “You can’t only help those in need if they voted for you. It’s the most basic part of being president, and this guy knows nothing about it.”
As discussions surrounding disaster relief funding heat up, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas highlighted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is facing budget challenges amidst competing needs for migrant assistance, with at least $640 million already directed elsewhere.