President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is approving $17.9 million in federal disaster relief for Wisconsin after a call with Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor.
“I just spoke with Tom Tiffany, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of the Great State of Wisconsin,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I told Tom that I will be approving 17.9 Million Dollars for the Severe Storms and Tornadoes that Wisconsin has experienced. The people are tough and smart, and will come back stronger than ever. 18 Million Dollars should help, A LOT. See you soon Wisconsin. I LOVE YOU ALL!”
The storms hit July 27. A confirmed EF-3 tornado tore through the Menasha and Appleton area. High winds, hail, and outages also hit Forest and Vilas counties in the north and Outagamie and Winnebago counties in the Fox Valley. Local public water systems were disrupted.
Gov. Tony Evers requested a federal disaster declaration on August 26. His office said joint assessments by Wisconsin Emergency Management and FEMA found nearly $13.8 million in public infrastructure damage. Assessments of more than 2,340 homes found another $8.2 million in residential damage. Evers said 84 structures were destroyed, 412 had major damage, 1,331 had minor damage, and 519 others were affected.
Tiffany got the call. Trump told him the relief was coming and tied it to the endorsement he has already given the Minocqua congressman in the race against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Evers did not thank him. In a tantrum on X, he said Wisconsinites “will believe it when we see it,” with his classic swear to make it sound authoritative.
The aid Evers requested in August is the aid Trump approved on Wednesday, after talking to Tiffany. The homes are in Menasha, Appleton, and the northern counties hit on July 27. The governor’s response was little more than a complaint that the Republican had a larger role in delivering it than he did.
