President Donald Trump reportedly faced sharp backlash Monday from within his own MAGA base after it was reported that his administration would condition federal disaster funding on states refusing to boycott companies connected to Israel.
According to a report by Reuters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed it will require states to abide by a policy that prohibits them from terminating “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies” if they wish to receive certain forms of disaster aid.
The new requirement applies to nearly $1.9 billion in federal funding used for critical infrastructure such as backup power systems, emergency management salaries, and search-and-rescue equipment.
“States must follow the agency’s terms and conditions,” FEMA said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
While the move aligns with the Trump administration’s longstanding pro-Israel foreign policy, it has triggered an unexpected revolt from parts of the conservative populist coalition that helped bring Trump to power in 2016.
Among the most vocal critics was conservative commentator Candace Owens, who accused Trump of placing a foreign government’s interests above those of the American people. “Yes, in the truest sense of the definition, this is an act of treason,” Owens said in a social media post, slamming the decision as a betrayal of the “America First” philosophy. “Trump has fully betrayed America for Netanyahu.”
She added: “Denying Americans who won’t support the genocide being conducted by your friends. Best 100 million Miriam Adelson ever spent.”
Owens’ criticism reflects a growing rift between traditional GOP foreign policy hawks and a newer generation of nationalist conservatives who are wary of entangling alliances and U.S. taxpayer money benefiting foreign interests.
The Trump administration’s decision appears consistent with broader efforts on the right to counter the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to pressure Israel through economic isolation.
Numerous red states have already passed laws barring state contracts with firms that boycott Israel.
Wait, what? https://t.co/n46P6C0531
— Kevin Sorbo (@ksorbs) August 4, 2025
Trump’s FEMA policy expands this approach to federal disaster relief, signaling a zero-tolerance stance on economic opposition to America’s closest Middle East ally.
Ah, great, more America First https://t.co/1JJNpccnX4
— Curt Mills (@CurtMills) August 4, 2025
Yet even supporters of Trump’s record on foreign policy voiced discomfort with the move’s domestic implications. Critics argue that leveraging disaster aid—meant for hurricane recovery, emergency services, and infrastructure resilience—as a political tool could alienate voters in heartland states that typically back the president.
Is this America first? https://t.co/8iNWDAKuzA
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) August 4, 2025
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The controversy underscores the evolving dynamics within the Republican Party as it heads into 2026: a battle between traditional conservatism’s internationalist commitments and the rising populist tide that insists America’s needs come first—even if that means rethinking decades-old alliances.
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