DHS backpedals on funding rule tied to Israel as pro-Trump base lashes out over ‘America Last’ accusations
A fresh political storm is swirling around Donald Trump — and this time, it’s coming from within his own backyard.
Over the weekend, the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner was slammed by some of his most diehard supporters after federal grant documents appeared to link emergency aid funding to states’ stance on Israel. The blowback was fast, furious, and deeply revealing — exposing just how fractured the modern Republican coalition has become.
FEMA Clause Triggers MAGA Uproar
At the center of the controversy is FEMA — the Federal Emergency Management Agency — which posted new grant application rules last Friday. The documents, covering nearly $2 billion in emergency preparedness funds, included a clause requiring states and cities to certify they would not boycott Israeli companies or firms doing business with Israel.
The language was blunt. No boycott, no money.
For many Republican hawks, it read as just another policy nudge to show solidarity with Israel — long a pillar of conservative foreign policy.
But for the MAGA right, especially online influencers and the populist isolationist wing, it was something far worse: proof that Trump was putting another country ahead of American taxpayers.
DHS Scrambles to Do Damage Control
By Monday afternoon, after a wave of criticism began to take hold on social media and conservative talk radio, the Department of Homeland Security stepped in. A spokesperson denied that any active Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) currently contained the Israel clause.
And just like that, the language was gone.
An updated version of the FEMA grant guidance was quietly uploaded, this time without any reference to Israel, boycotts, or foreign commercial relations.
Too late, though. The damage was already done.
“America Last” Accusations Catch Fire
The backlash was swift and personal. Pro-Trump influencers with massive online followings, many of whom supported his 2016 and 2020 runs, were furious.
They weren’t holding back.
Popular conservative podcaster Stew Peters went further, calling it “treasonous.”
Others demanded Trump clarify whether he stood by the clause — or whether it was a rogue move by bureaucrats.
The anger wasn’t just from the fringe.
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, said on his livestream:
“I love President Trump. But if he or anyone in his orbit is trying to tie disaster aid to foreign policy allegiances — that’s just wrong.”
A Crumbling Coalition? Trump Now Juggles Two GOPs
For years, Trump has tried to balance two wings of the Republican Party: the establishment’s foreign policy hawks and the MAGA movement’s populist nationalists. Both camps share deep loyalty to Trump — but they couldn’t be further apart on issues like Ukraine, Israel, and foreign aid.
The FEMA clause debacle has put that balancing act under stress.
Traditional Republicans — like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham — have made no secret of their desire to keep foreign aid to Israel flowing. They also applauded efforts to crack down on Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movements, even if it means tying such policies to federal funds.
But the MAGA right is increasingly asking: Why are we funding wars and propping up foreign allies while American cities crumble?
It’s not an academic debate anymore. It’s political fuel.
$1.9 Billion on the Line — And the States Are Watching
The FEMA guidance in question relates to a massive tranche of federal money — at least $1.9 billion, according to Newsweek and Reuters — allocated for emergency services across the country. This includes:
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Search-and-rescue operations
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Backup generators and power systems
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Emergency management staff salaries
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Equipment for hurricane, wildfire, and flood responses
Many governors and mayors, regardless of party, depend on this funding each year. And attaching it to a foreign policy certification, even briefly, raised serious legal and constitutional questions.
One governor’s aide, speaking anonymously, said:
“We were already prepping our grant paperwork. This clause comes out of nowhere and throws our entire application into chaos.”
Even with the language now removed, state officials are likely to tread more carefully — and ask harder questions — in future FEMA applications.
Trump Campaign Silent So Far
As of late Monday, the Trump campaign had issued no official comment on the FEMA clause controversy. Several reporters, including Newsweek’s Sonam Sheth, reached out but received no response.
Behind the scenes, however, campaign aides are reportedly trying to downplay the incident. One insider told Axios that the FEMA documents were “not personally reviewed or approved” by Trump himself.
That may be true — but MAGA loyalists aren’t so easily mollified anymore.
