Right now in California, the largest wildfire to ever strike the state is still burning. Overall, the situation may not be quite so dire as it was a few weeks ago—so long as temperatures and winds cooperate—but at this moment the state estimates that over 4.1 million acres have burned in over 8,500 individual fires. Triggered by climate change that has brought both rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns, the incredible wash of flames has also destroyed over 5,000 homes, created some of the worst air conditions on the planet, led to regular power outages for millions … and left eight people dead.
In fact, the lives directly lost in the flames are only a small part of the toll. Healthcare experts attribute thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of illnesses to the air pollution generated by the fires. And in this pandemic season, the thousands of cases of COVID-19 that are springing up in California each day can be directly connected to the large numbers of displaced citizens, many of whom were forced into temporary housing—or no housing at all—in conditions that promoted the spread of the disease. Against that backdrop, it seems particularly shocking, if not simply vile, that on Thursday evening, Donald Trump turned down California’s request for a disaster declaration. With billions of dollars in damage, including over $200 million’s worth of state infrastructure, a disaster declaration might seem automatic.
What does it take to get a disaster declaration from Trump? Let North Carolina explain.
On the last day of July, Hurricane Isaias began to batter the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Over the next three days, the storm came inland, and while it didn’t bring the devastating winds or feet of rain produced by some major storms along the Gulf, it struck an area much less prepared for large storms. In the next week, the remnants of Isaias continued north, causing over $1 billion dollars in damage from Virginia to New England. Four deaths were directly attributed to the storm, and there was damage to highways, bridges, and utilities throughout North Carolina.
North Carolina’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, waited until after the storm’s damage had been tallied before asking Trump for a disaster declaration. Meanwhile in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom made the request following some of the first major fires of the season. As a result, both applications were on Trump’s desk in September, just four days apart. But on Tuesday evening, Trump approved the disaster declaration for North Carolina. On Thursday, he refused to grant federal assistance to California.
There are a number of reasons why Trump might have turned California down. None of them are good reasons, but there are very Trump reasons. He has, after all, continued to downplay the threat from climate change and describe the whole idea as a “hoax.” He has also repeatedly blamed California for the fires, arguing with Newsom and other officials, and talking about the need to “sweep the forest floor,” because Trump’s understanding of nature is that it’s just another golf course. While visiting California shortly before Newsom filed his request, Trump blamed the fires on exploding trees, then went on to explain how Europeans manage to build “forest cities” despite having even more explosive trees. With lots of sweeping.
Trump could easily have decided to deny funds to California simply because he wants the state to hurt. After all, blaming blue-state governors for problems is so important to Trump that he deliberately allowed 220,000 Americans to die in hopes that he could pin it on Democratic officials.
But the easiest explanation is this one: Trump lost California to Hillary Clinton by 30%. Again … by 30%. And he’s trailing Joe Biden in the state by an almost identical margin. In North Carolina, Trump won by four points in 2016, but recent polling has him behind. Plus, the announcement that he would provide federal funds to North Carolina came less than a day before Trump appeared for a rally at the Greenville, North Carolina airport. That was Trump’s fifth visit to North Carolina in the last six weeks.
Would Donald Trump hand over millions to a state where he’s losing in a desperate ploy to gain votes? Sorry … that was not a serious question. In other news, Trump sent record subsidies to farmers in the Midwest and South this week. That $434 billion makes the disaster relief to North Carolina look like a pittance. But then … Biden has edged ahead in both Iowa and Georgia, while drawing level with Trump in Ohio. That’s what Trump considers a real disaster.
Of course, the reason farmers are suffering comes back largely to Trump’s trade policies that have driven record losses, record debt, and record farm foreclosures. But … Trump probably blames that on exploding tractors.