'Bad policy but nice guy.' Trump comments on Mamdani during State of the Union
“They want people to shovel snow...they got hit hard...but if you apply for that job, you have to show two forms of ID and a Social Security card,” Trump said, levying one of his common criticisms regarding election security.
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President Donald Trump spoke about Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, saying he was a nice guy with bad policies and commenting on his hiring of emergency snow shovelers post-blizzard.
“They want people to shovel snow...they got hit hard...but if you apply for that job, you have to show two forms of ID and a Social Security card,” Trump said, levying one of his common criticisms regarding election security.
Trump said the DHS shutdown is preventing the federal government from “helping people clean up their snow,” referring to the massive snowstorm that impacted much of the Northeast this week.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, housed under DHS, rarely helps states with snow cleanup, except in some instances of record or near-record snowfall, or when an ice storm causes catastrophic damage. States first request a disaster declaration, which the president must approve.
A government shutdown also doesn’t necessarily stop FEMA disaster response: The more than 10,000 staff who make up the bulk of FEMA’s disaster response and recovery force continue to work and be paid during a government shutdown, and disaster spending can continue for as long as the agency’s non-lapsing Disaster Relief Fund has money.
AP Wire Services contributed to this report.
