After Month-Long Riots, Minnesota Governor asks Trump for Disaster Declaration

On Thursday, Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz asked President Trump for federal disaster declaration in the state, due to mass destruction in damages amid the rioting following the killing of George Floyd last month.

The governor’s office estimates that the cost of damage to over 1,500 businesses throughout the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is over $500 million.

NEWS: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has asked President Donald Trump for a federal disaster declaration to deal with damage from the late May rioting in Minneapolis and St. Paul. pic.twitter.com/Owc2iqsC9Y

— Theo Keith (@TheoKeith) July 2, 2020

Walz said in a statement:

“We need to come together to ensure Minnesotans who were victims of this destruction have access to critical infrastructure they need so they can go to the grocery store, pick up their medication, and live their lives. Together, we will rebuild.”

Walz also asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist financially, to help cover the cost of “debris removal, emergency measures and damage to public buildings and equipment,” according to Fox News.

“We’re asking our federal partners to step up and help our communities recover,” Walz said.

Although Walz did send out the National Guard to quell the riots early on, it can easily be argued he did not do enough to mitigate what ended up being, including protecting civilians being attacked or asking his daughter not to give rioters tips on avoiding the National Guard.

Whatever Trump decides to do, any aid should be conditioned on never allowing something like this to happen again.