State of the Union Response: Disaster Capitalism Cloaked as Progress

Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch

“Trump’s first State of the Union was exactly what we expected. He teed up false claims to move forward his xenophobic, pro-Wall Street and anti-environment agenda. He misrepresented his tax plan as relief for the middle class when it was a huge giveaway to billionaires. He said there was a war on clean coal—something that doesn’t even exist. He acknowledged the catastrophic unnatural disasters last year, but not the driving force that supercharged them: climate change.

“We already knew his infrastructure plan was a giveaway to cronies and financiers. When Trump says he’s streamlining infrastructure permitting, he means he’s mowing down key federal regulations that have protected our environment for decades to help build pipelines. Instead of a plan to rebuild our public water infrastructure, we’re getting a plan to gut water protections to benefit the polluting oil and gas industry.

“Trump’s bigoted policies aim to divide, not unite. And his infrastructure plan is to deregulate and privatize—it’s disaster capitalism cloaked as progress. It’s fitting that his address took place one day before FEMA pulls out of Puerto Rico where people are still lacking clean water infrastructure and access to energy. There will be many more Americans suffering the same fate if our federal government leaders continue to prioritize private profits over the public good.”

Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment.

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Contact: Darcey Rakestraw, 202-683-2467; [email protected]