At a Gastonia Rally for Senate Nominee Michael Whatley, Trump Tells the Crowd He Won't Send Pending Hurricane Helene FEMA Money to North Carolina "If Michael Loses" — Then Says He's "Only Kidding," but Gov. Josh Stein, Sen. Andy Kim and Gov. Gavin Newsom Take Him at His Word

September 17, 2026

Campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley at a September 16, 2026 rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport, President Trump referenced roughly $2 billion in Hurricane Helene FEMA funding already delivered to western North Carolina and pending additional money, then told the crowd: "Now, if Michael loses, I'm not sending it, ok?" He immediately added, "No, I'm only kidding. You're gonna get it Michael." The remark, coming a week after Trump unveiled his $5,000 "dividend" pledge conditioned on Republicans keeping the House and Senate, drew swift reaction. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein posted that it was "no way to respond to a tragic disaster, no way to run a country, no way to campaign for office," and pressed the administration to fund the state's $10 billion Helene recovery request. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said he doubted the "joke" framing, pointing to the administration's record of withholding disaster aid from Democratic-led states recovering from last winter's storms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the threat "SICK" and "UN-AMERICAN." The White House has approved a lower share of disaster requests from states with Democratic governors and senators than from Republican-led states, according to FEMA's own data.