No, Trump Did NOT Give Flint $100 Million for the Water Crisis
Despite what some headlines and local Trumpists would have you believe, the orange one has nothing to do with the $100 million dollars the EPA just sent Flint for water crisis relief.
Facts are hard for some people. I don't know if there's ever been a period in time where that was more painfully obvious than it is right now. Hell, even the current administration has a tenuous relationship with factual information, and has done a fair amount to discredit those who try to report it.
That, paired with the news cycle exhaustion of the Flint water crisis, has made certain aspects of the ongoing efforts to remedy the situation tough to follow for outsiders, and even some locals. The latest headline in this seemingly endless nightmare being a prime example.
Over the weekend, I saw several folks, both locally and otherwise, practically blowing Donald Trump over his ever-so-generous act of sending $100 million to Flint. Here's just a sampling of the comments people shared along with deceptively-titled articles from sites like Breitbart (Trump EPA Grants Michigan $100 Million to Fix Flint Water System) and The Daily Caller (Trump Gives Flint Sizable Grant To Fix Water):
"God Bless President Donald Trump. He's going to fix Flint."
"Trump has already done more for Flint than Obama did in 8 years."
"Obama was too busy sending billions to Iran to help Flint."
"Trump needs to keep track of his money so the democrats that caused that mess don't blow it all."
If your comments about this story looked like one of these, I've got some bad news for you: Trump had nothing to do with this money coming to Flint. These funds have been in the works for a long time, were signed into law by Obama, and approved by congress, before Trump took the oath.
Don't take my word for it though, check out the brief timeline below (linked to a variety of news sources just so I don't have to hear that "fake news" bulls***):
- Sept 8, 2016 -- US Senate Considers Bill Including Flint Aid (The Detroit News)
- Sept 28, 2016 -- U.S. House approves $170 million for Flint pipes (Freep)
- Dec 6, 2016 -- GOP adds measure to aid Mattis’ confirmation to stopgap bill (Breitbart)
- Dec 10, 2016 -- Millions in funds approved by Senate to aid Flint water crisis recovery (MLive)
- Dec 15, 2016 -- With federal money secured for Flint, officials turn to state for more (MLive)
- Dec 16, 2016 -- Obama signs $10B water bill that helps Flint (Washington Examiner)
- Dec 30, 2016 -- EPA spells out rules for federal spending on Flint water system (MLive)
- Jan 20, 2017 -- The Inauguration of Donald Trump (Wikipedia)
- Jan 24, 2017 -- State seeks clarity on Flint water funds after Trump EPA freeze (MLive)
- Jan 26, 2017 -- State says EPA isn't freezing Flint's federal water crisis funds (MLive)
- Feb 22, 2017 -- State gives Flint mayor's $120-million water crisis plan push forward (MLive)
- Mar 17, 2017 -- EPA makes it official, sends $100 million to Michigan for Flint water crisis (MLive)
As you can see, the $100 million took a very long road to Flint, and that car started way back when flawed and outdated polling practices made it look like "President Trump" was a thing we'd never have to say. I suppose you could argue that Trump deserves some credit because he didn't stop the funding, but that would be like saying someone is alive because you decided not to kill them. Yes, that's technically true, but the logic is flawed at best.
I'm not saying Trump isn't going to help Flint. After all, he did spit mad water crisis bars back in September, rhyming, "my administration, we’ll get very much involved, and we’re going to get the problem solved.” I'm just saying he doesn't get the credit this time, and you don't need a wiretap, or Russians to hack an email server to prove it -- you just have to read every once in a while.
I guess what I'm trying to say is "Thanks, Obama."
P.S. I forgot to address the "dems that run Flint caused the water crisis" claim. They didn't. That was the emergency managers forcefully installed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder that made that call. Look it up sometime.