President Trump Leaves Minneapolis Hanging After City Requests $16M in Assistance

The City of Minneapolis is looking to rebuild after a series of nights of violent riots took place several weeks ago, but they are so far making do without any assistance from the federal government.

The violence, looting, and arson began after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, all of whom are now facing charges in the case.  This chaos erupted at nightfall in the days following Floyd’s death, after the peaceful daytime protesters had left for home.

Now, with the streets growing calmer by the day, the city of Minneapolis is ready to rebuild…but President Trump isn’t willing to help unless there is a full accounting of where the federal government’s assistance is going.

On July 2, Gov. Walz formally asked President Donald Trump “declare a major disaster for the State of Minnesota because of extensive fire damage to public infrastructure caused by civil unrest,” according to the governor’s office.

Walz sought financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), estimating the damage “eligible” for relief to be nearly $16 million. The total damage in the city, he said, was estimated at about $500 million.

But on Friday, the governor’s office confirmed that his request had been denied, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

“The Governor is disappointed that the federal government declined his request for financial support,” said a spokesperson for Walz in a statement quoted by the Star-Tribune. “As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state’s history, we look for support from our federal government to help us through.”

As of this writing, the Trump administration has not publicly responded to these reports.