To: President Donald Trump

Tell Trump not to use disaster relief funds to pay for the border wall

Don't pull funding for Americans suffering from the California wildfires, hurricanes in Puerto Rico, and other disasters in places such as Texas and Florida. Abandon plans for the wall and support Americans who need the government to help with recovery efforts.

Why is this important?

Trump keeps criticizing California's forest management and blames them for wildfires. But forest management is a federal responsibility, and the funds for that keep getting cut. Then the state is forced to use remaining funds to fight the wildfires instead. It's a cycle that feeds on itself and makes it almost impossible for California to do adequate forest management.

Now President Trump is threatening to cut FEMA funding, too. California citizens who lost everything in the wildfires are already dealing with unbearable stress. They don't need Trump to add to that by threatening the loss of FEMA funding that pays not just for local infrastructure repair, but for home repair, emergency housing, and groceries.

Furthermore, there are reports that Trump could take money from Puerto Rico recovery efforts—after he's spread conspiracy theories to diminish the devastating, fatal impact of hurricanes to the island—to get even more money for a border wall should he declare a national emergency.

In places like Puerto Rico, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, people who have already been through unthinkable loss don't need the president of the United States to add to their burdens. He needs to stop abusing his power and American citizens to fuel his ego.