Louisianans Need A Competent President, Not Another Photo Op

Louisianans Need A Competent President, Not Another Photo Op

BATON ROUGE, LA – Ahead of Donald Trump’s arrival in Louisiana, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, released the following statement:

“Louisianans are dealing with a hurricane in the midst of a global pandemic and economic meltdown — we don’t need a photo op. We need a federal government with the resources and leadership to help us through this. But instead of making sure we’re prepared, Donald Trump has repeatedly undermined the programs designed to keep us safe. This is just one more reminder that we can’t afford another four more years of his incompetence.”

Trump has repeatedly targeted disaster funds in order to advance his own toxic agenda.

• In 2019, Trump slashed $155 million from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund in order to funnel it to ICE.
• Within months of taking office, Trump proposed cutting FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program by more than 60%, threatening a program “that helps states and communities take long-term measures to reduce losses from disasters.”
• Trump’s latest budget called for cutting $163 million from FEMA’s flood-mapping budget. 
• Trump has repeatedly called for the elimination of the community development block grant program — “the federal agency tasked with managing billions in long-term hurricane-relief money.”
• Trump proposed cutting $75 million from the National Weather Service “at a time when the service already has hundreds of unfilled positions.”

Trump’s incompetence and personal agenda have repeatedly hampered the federal government’s response to natural disasters.

• NBC News: “For Some, Delayed Response To Puerto Rico Has Echoes of Katrina”

• Business Insider: “Trump Says He Pardoned Joe Arpaio Right As Hurricane Harvey Began Wreaking Havoc Because ‘I Assumed The Ratings Would Be Far Higher’”

• The Guardian: “Trump Shows Fake Hurricane Map In Apparent Bid To Validate Incorrect Tweet”

• Axios: “President Trump has suggested multiple times to senior Homeland Security and national security officials that they explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the United States”