Weeks into the longest United States government shutdown in history, the administration of President Donald Trump had cut welfare spending on food for Americans and even demanded that state governments also cut such aid. At the same time, the US government was rushing to spend money on providing new aid to foreigners in Caribbean counties that had just been hit by the latest hurricane to pass through the area.
In response to the damage brought by Hurricane Melissa in the last week of October, a State Department website post titled “Responding to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba, Bermuda, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos Islands” declared:
President Trump authorized an immediate U.S. response, directing the Department of State to mobilize support for affected communities. Within hours, Secretary Rubio deployed a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team, including urban search-and-rescue teams, to assess needs and provide search and recovery assistance. The State Department is collaborating with UN agencies, NGOs, and host governments to deliver food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits, temporary shelter, and search and rescue support.
America first?
