Trump Approves Ohio Aid for 7 Counties Before Husted Rally as 15 Requests Wait
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 7
Trump Approves Ohio Aid for 7 Counties Before Husted Rally as 15 Requests Wait
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 7
Summary
Trump signed a disaster declaration for household aid in seven Ohio counties on Oct. 2, one day before campaigning with Sen. Jon Husted and saying at the rally he approved it at Husted’s request.
Ohio’s Sept. 2 request covered 23 counties after August tornado damage, but Trump acted only on part of it and left 16 counties undecided; partial approvals are common.
The timing drew fresh accusations that Trump is politicizing federal relief because 15 other disaster requests were still pending, including five submitted before Ohio’s and a Sept. 9 expedited request from Hawaii.
Democrats tied the Ohio and Wisconsin episodes to a broader pattern: POLITICO found Trump approved 23% of requests from fully Democratic-led states in his first 14 months, versus 89% from Republican-led states.
The White House denied any politicization, saying Trump reviews requests carefully, but his slower batch-style approvals have unsettled state officials used to decisions within weeks.