Weeks after tornadoes caused destruction and deaths in Arkansas, a rumor began to spread that U.S. President Donald Trump refused to release disaster relief funds for the state.
For example, a post on X, which reminded readers that Arkansas voters had elected Trump in the November 2024 election, said Trump had denied funds to the state (archived):
The claim appeared several times on X, with some users emphasizing that Republican elected officials from Arkansas who have historically supported Trump, such as Sen. Tom Cotton and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, were begging the president to release the funds. Posts also appeared on Facebook, including one with an image that read:
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
TRUMP IS NOW SCREWING OVER REPUBLICANS IN NEED OF DISASTER RELIEF
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote a letter to the president begging him to approve aid for the state after a series of destructive storms
Further, reputable news outlets such as ABC News and CNN also relayed the claims.
Statistics from the National Weather Service showed six people had died in Arkansas and 46 had been injured in 35 tornadoes, one thunderstorm and floods as of late April 2025, with most of the storms occuring in mid-April. The storms also destroyed homes and businesses across the state.
In case of a major disaster, the president makes a declaration unlocking funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support recovery efforts. For this, the governor of a state must make an official request.
Following procedure, Sanders applied for major disaster relief on March 21, 2025, a week after the first casualties. On March 29, she submitted another request. On April 2, she released $250,000 in state funds for relief. On April 4, she submitted another request to help the state recover from flooding.
However, on April 18, 2025, Huckabee Sanders sent a letter appealing FEMA's denial for relief funds for the damage caused by tornadoes on March 14 and 15. The letter read:
The sheer magnitude of this event resulted in overwhelming amounts of debris, widespread destruction to homes and businesses, the tragic loss of three lives, and injuries to many others. Less than three weeks later, Arkansas was once again devastated by a second wave of severe storms, tornadoes, and a generational flooding event. These compounding disasters severely affected many of the same counties, adding even more catastrophic debris and tragically claiming the lives of three additional Arkansans. Given the cumulative impact of these events, federal assistance is essential to help our communities recover.
Indeed, Trump had not made a declaration of major disaster as of this writing. We contacted the White House asking how he might respond to the appeal.
On March 28, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared she planned to eliminate FEMA, an agency that is part of her department. Noem echoed Trump, who said on Jan. 24, 2025, he would sign an executive order "reforming or overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA." He added states should rely on themselves "and not waste time calling FEMA."
Besides Arkansas, FEMA denied funds for disaster relief in some counties of West Virginia, prompting the governor to consider an appeal. The agency also denied funds following a windstorm in Washington state without giving a reason. Another FEMA letter denied funds for an extension requested by North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
We have contacted the White House, the National Security Council, Sanders' office and the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, asking for updates and explanations for the denials. We will update this story should they respond.