As Twitchy reported recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a letter to President Trump requesting a federal disaster declaration to deal with damage from the late May rioting in Minneapolis and St. Paul after video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer went viral.
Damage to public infrastructure, including debris removal and damage to public buildings and equipment totals $15.6 million, Walz says.
More than 1,500 businesses were damaged by vandalism, looting or fires, causing at least $500 million in damage.
— Theo Keith (@TheoKeith) July 2, 2020
The consensus on Twitter seemed to be a solid “No,” and apparently that’s Trump’s answer as well.
Great news! @realDonaldTrump has DENIED Minnesota's disaster request to repair half a billion dollars in damage from the riots. Governors and Mayors who ordered police to stand down and watch their cities burn shouldn't get a penny in taxpayer aid! https://t.co/8WAgm7AFa7
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) July 11, 2020
Walz asked President Donald Trump to declare a “major disaster” for the state of Minnesota in his request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on July 2. More than 1,500 buildings were damaged by fires, looting and vandalism in the days of unrest that followed Floyd’s May 25 death in Minneapolis police custody, racking up more than $500 million in damages, according to Walz.
The governor’s spokesman, Teddy Tschann, confirmed late Friday that the request for federal aid was denied.
…
Republican Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer on Thursday sent a letter to Trump in response to Walz’s aid request, asking for a “thorough and concurrent review” of the state’s response to the unrest so that “every governor, mayor and local official can learn from our experiences” and prevent such a situation from happening again.
“If the federal government is expected to assist in the clean-up of these unfortunate weeks, it has an obligation to every American — prior to the release of funding — to fully understand the events which allowed for this level of destruction to occur and ensure it never happens again,” Emmer wrote.
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What can you say? As Speaker Nancy Pelosi pointed out the other day, “People will do what they do.”
DAMN RIGHT!
— Richard Taylor (@Bongsong2) July 11, 2020
Makes sense to me.
Insurance doesn't payout for arson.
The federal government shouldn't payout for self inflicted disasters.— I was told, there would be flying cars. (@libertine_q) July 11, 2020
Good. This was self inflicted damage. If you set your own house on fire homeowners insurance won’t pay for it. And that’s exactly what Minnesota officials allowed & even encouraged to happen. Suck it up MN.
— Lynne Carroll (@Lynnecarr2017) July 11, 2020
Maybe democratic mayors and governors will reconsider their soft hand allowing protesters to vent policies.
— @djmeiho63 (@djmeiho63) July 11, 2020
@GovTimWalz. Dem Gov's that allow anarchy and destruction to overtake their cities just so they can bask in BLM/Antifa virtue signaling shouldn't expect a Federal taxpayer bailout. He'll have to decide what is more important, his city's infrastructure or allowing lawlessness.
— Dana (@sparkey909w) July 11, 2020
How much money has BLM raised? How many black lives have they actually helped (compared to how many were lost to violent riots and protests)? Perhaps BLM should put their money where their mouth is.
— Noththerabbit (@noththerabbit) July 11, 2020
Maybe they can ask their Good friends at Black Lives Matter to float them a few million to repair the damage.?
— TRUMP ROCKS USA 2020 (@Detrocker2264) July 11, 2020
Why doesn’t BLM throw a lil of their donated money towards the rebuild? ?
— CC RiCohen (@clc92982) July 11, 2020
Because they already spent 1 billion dollars on old white male democrats running for office.
— Derek Bauer (@Derek_Bauer) July 11, 2020
Perhaps all the Hollywood celebrities who pledged millions to bail out rioters could start up another fund to actually help rebuild the city.
This is the way it should be. They want to give permission to the thugs to loot and burn the city, why should they have a penny to restore what they deliberately allowed.
— Kathleen Lessman (@kathleenlessma3) July 11, 2020
The riots could have been stopped, but Democrats wanted Americans to be paralyzed with fear. This wasn’t a natural disaster, It was a Democrat disaster. NO federal aid should be given!! Red states aren’t requesting federal aid! We control radical, democrat, terrorists.
— TwatterjailbirdPAM⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@twatterjailbird) July 11, 2020
?????? They became accomplices in the destruction when they endorsed it so let them live with it or pay to reconstruct their city. It’ll be ruined again anyway without police.
— Liberty Lover ?? (@DrCarrinBlyth) July 11, 2020
I’m confused, I thought they were peaceful protests?
— MCC (@michael_coborn) July 11, 2020
Mostly peaceful.
GREAT NEWS INDEED! Natural disasters are a completely separate & different issue. But when you STAND BY & LET PREVENTABLE DESTRUCTION HAPPEN THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY!!!!!!!
— DiaGram19 (@Gram19Dia) July 11, 2020
Hopefully the tax payers in these cities vote wisely in November and vote these clowns who allowed the destruction of their city out of office! Mark it down, Minnesota is going Red this November! @realDonaldTrump
— 304-227 (@DavidRoos18) July 11, 2020
Next refusal should be NYC
— Dawn Dix (@DawnMDix) July 11, 2020
Why aren’t corporations donating to Minneapolis instead of BLM?
— Cheese Crackers ?? (@Why45huh) July 11, 2020
Yeah throw money at a place that is looking to defund the police so it can happen over and over again. Minnesota would be a money pit.
The governor and mayor should be removed for failing to do their jobs.
— ?? Survivor of 2020 TP shortage (@ChadGar40522734) July 11, 2020
Defunding the police and allowing rioters to destroy his city doesnt seem like such a good idea now, does it. Its not up to the tax payer to bail him out.
The Minnesota Dems broke it, so they bought it.
— A Truck Driver's Wife (@Vaeleri) July 11, 2020
Yes let them fix it themselves with all that money they defunded the police with
— Trimidast (@trimidast) July 11, 2020
All good points: They can take the money they would have used to maintain a police force and use it to hire people to rebuild the city. They can ask Black Lives Matter to throw a few million their way. They could have a celebrity telethon or something … if anyone still cared.
Related:
‘Nope’! Minnesota governor requests Trump approve federal funds to fix all the riot damage (and people have thoughts) https://t.co/My55o6ubJx
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 4, 2020
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