The recent spate of Federal Emergency Management Agency decisions appears to track along partisan lines, according to public records and the Associated Press.

FEMA approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Nebraska and North Dakota in response to summer and fall storms that caused widespread coastal and inland damage, unlocking both individual and public assistance. But it denied similar requests elsewhere.

Michigan’s appeal for federal assistance following a March ice storm was denied, reaffirming FEMA’s earlier decision to reject the state’s initial request.

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In Wisconsin, the agency declined a request for Public Assistance for six counties affected by August flooding, stating that “the program is not warranted.”

Similarly, Maryland’s request for aid following May floods and its appeal were both rejected. Vermont’s request for public infrastructure repairs due to July flooding was also denied, as was Illinois’ petition for disaster aid after storms in mid-August.

Trump did highlight the Alaska approval in a social-media post, writing that he was “approving $25 million dollars to help Alaska recover” and adding, “It is my honor to deliver for the Great State of Alaska, which I won BIG … I will never let you down.”

Blue States Get the Cold Shoulder

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) sought a federal disaster declaration for five counties—Boone, Cook, Kane, McHenry and Will—after Aug. 16-19 storms and flash floods caused widespread damage. Sens. Dick Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D) urged the administration to approve the request, citing torrential rainfall and destructive winds.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) criticized FEMA’s decision to uphold its earlier denial of aid for the March storm, calling it “a blow to communities still recovering from one of the most destructive ice storms in recent memory.” The state estimated more than $70 million in infrastructure damage.

Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore (D) denounced FEMA’s rejection following summer floods, saying, “This outcome is not just deeply frustrating—it ignores the devastation wrought by historic floods in Appalachia and leaves Marylanders on their own. President Trump and his administration have politicized disaster relief, and our communities are the ones who will pay the price.”

In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers (D) called the denial of aid for six counties “disappointing and short-sighted,” saying it “sends a message to our communities that they are on their own, and that the Trump administration doesn’t think over $26 million in damages to public infrastructure is worthy of their help.” The Wisconsin denial covered Door, Grant, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

A brief FEMA letter to the state explained that, “After evaluation of damage assessments, the Public Assistance program is not warranted.”

Vermont officials also expressed frustration after weeks of delay despite widespread flooding that damaged roads, bridges and culverts statewide.

FEMA’s Thresholds—and Politics—Face New Scrutiny

FEMA’s Public Assistance program funds reconstruction of public assets such as roads, bridges and utilities. When denied, local governments must absorb the costs or postpone work.

While FEMA has not published a 2025 year-to-date denial rate, its most recent open-data list shows 18 denials to date. ENR reviewed the agency’s “Declaration Denials” dataset and could not access the current 2025 approval data; FEMA had not made it publicly available.

However, an analysis of year-to-date denials found 10 in states led by Democratic governors and eight in Republican-led states—a modest but noticeable tilt toward denials in Democratic-governed states.

FEMA’s evolving eligibility criteria, rather than overt political preference, could explain the decisions, though the clustered timing has drawn public scrutiny. 

The president has also been overt in public comments that have led to the partisan conclusion, starting from the outset of his second term.

In January, Trump signed an executive order establishing a FEMA “review council” to assess the agency’s structure and spending priorities. The order stated that “there were serious concerns of political bias at FEMA and that agency funds had been used for programs related to incoming migrants.” 

The White House said the move was intended to “restore accountability and ensure FEMA resources are directed to natural-disaster response,” according to reporting from Reuters. However, critics viewed it as an attempt to centralize control over disaster aid decisions.

A Government Accountability Office review found that about 18% of major-disaster requests between fiscal 2020 and 2023 were denied, reflecting tighter scrutiny of what qualifies as “severity and magnitude.”

Historically, GAO reported that presidents approved roughly 86% of requests from 2004 to 2011, and independent analyses found approvals exceeding 85% between 1991 and 2011.