President Donald Trump tried to offer what he thought was an act of kindness and relief. But it blew up in his face.
His $500,000 Nepal pledge is taking a beating after his flood comments gave critics another reason to question his priorities.
Critics blasted Trump over the stark contrast between his recent multimillion-dollar renovation project and his far smaller aid pledge.
Trump’s gesture costs less than one-tenth of the reported price of the statues he restored in Washington. Then his own words made the gesture feel more like an insult than genuine help.
The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it would provide emergency funding after catastrophic flooding killed at least 160 people in Nepal and left hundreds of others missing.
The money is intended to assist rescue operations in the Rasuwa district, where the flooding caused widespread destruction.
“The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal,” the State Department said.
The agency also said it was sending a disaster response adviser to the region while providing $500,000 in assistance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also addressed the disaster on X. He wrote, “We express our solidarity and are united in prayer for the Nepali people following the devastating floods.”
The flooding devastated areas along the Nepal-China border, with bridges, buildings and other infrastructure near the Bhatekoshi River swept away by the rushing water.
Officials believe the disaster may have been triggered by an ice avalanche caused by a collapsing glacier. Rescue operations continued as authorities anticipated increasing medical and humanitarian needs.
When asked about the floods in Nepal during a briefing this week, Trump gave a response that made social media users question his intelligence.
“That wasn’t just water; that was mud and water as a mixture. Nobody’s ever seen anything quite like that,” he said, before adding, “Where strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks.”
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The criticism only grew more biting as another user mocked Trump’s apparent discovery.
“So, no one’s ever seen a flood before?!?!” questioned one Threads user. “I mean, really? People still not able to see what a colossal moron he is?!?!”
Another sarcastic remark read, “He means he’s just now found out that can happen. Therefore, ‘nobody’ has ever seen it.”
Others had clearly had enough of hearing from the president, with one commenter taking a much harsher approach.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, can someone shut him up? I have to keep my phone on mute when I see his face because whatever is coming out of that mouth is a LIE!”
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Trump’s relatively small U.S. pledge, however, was the bigger conversation and became a point of comparison online with a separate federal project in the nation’s capital.
The National Park Service, part of the Department of the Interior, awarded Gilders’ Studio a $5.1 million contract to restore four bronze equestrian statues at the entrance to Arlington Memorial Bridge in West Potomac Park.
The government installed the sculptures, collectively known as The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace, in 1951. As part of the still-unfinished restoration, Trump’s “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again” initiative covered the statues in 23.75-karat gold leaf.
Trump highlighted the restoration as part of his effort to reshape Washington, posting photos of the statues as scaffolding came down.
“Taking down the scaffolding around the regilded Arts of War sculptures!” Trump wrote alongside the images on Truth Social.
The newly gilded statues — the Arts of Peace restoration is not complete — have since attracted a mixture of curiosity and criticism from visitors and social media users.
Amy, a visitor from Topeka, Kansas, was walking near the Lincoln Memorial when the newly restored sculptures caught her attention. She told WTOP she saw them and immediately thought, “‘Whoa, what is that?’”
Online, some reactions were less enthusiastic.
Many compared the new appearance with the weathered look the sculptures had before the restoration. “It looked way better looking aged and weathered. Now it looks trump tacky,” said one observer.
The stark contrast between $500,000 for disaster relief and $5.1 million for a highly visible Washington project fueled further online criticism.
“Oh my God that’s insulting,” one person wrote.
Another commenter criticized what they described as a disconnect between the administration’s spending priorities, calling it “utterly disgraceful.” Others directed their frustration toward the size of the Nepal assistance.
“$500k?? That’s a slap in the face. So shameful. The American people are not their wretched government.”
The backlash adds to the scrutiny surrounding Trump’s efforts to remake Washington. The administration has promoted the work as part of a broader push to create what it describes as a “Golden Age” for the nation’s capital.
For now, the Nepalese government and rescue workers are dealing with the immediate aftermath of a disaster that has already claimed at least 160 lives while the newly gilded monuments remain on display in Washington, creating an unlikely comparison between overseas disaster relief and an expensive capital-city beautification project.
