St. Louis, Missouri, is still reeling from the tornado that tore through its neighborhoods two months ago, and the signs of destruction are impossible to miss. A new video, recorded by a resident, offers an unfiltered view of the aftermath: shattered rooftops covered with blue tarps, streets lined with debris, and a once-proud church reduced to rubble. Power and water outages persist in some areas. The mood is grim, and so is the message. Help is not coming.
While communities across Missouri struggle to rebuild with little to no federal support, President Trump has diverted national attention and taxpayer dollars elsewhere. In a move that has angered many, the administration recently approved a $134 million military deployment to Los Angeles in response to ongoing anti-ICE protests. For St. Louis residents still hauling fallen tree limbs and patching roofs by hand, the contrast feels like a slap in the face.
In the comment sections beneath the video, frustration boils over. One user notes that there has been no FEMA presence, and that the mayor is still pleading with the state for emergency support. Cleanup and aid, they write, have come almost entirely from neighbors. Volunteer crews are doing their best, but the need vastly outstrips the available resources. The only thing more widespread than storm damage is the sense of abandonment.
“Ain’t a Single Thing That This Clown Administration Has Done to Make America Great Again” – u/amanwithoutaname001
Another commenter, claiming to live in the city, shared their personal experience. After losing power for five days, they joined neighbors in removing fallen trees from power lines and helping distribute supplies. No one expected miracles, but they did expect something. Instead, the federal response has been silence.
The viral video has struck a chord because it says what many feel. “This was never about protecting the country, it was about controlling it,” one user wrote. Another added that the administration’s priorities reveal who gets helped and who gets left behind. Missouri, it seems, falls into the latter category.
The outrage extends far beyond just this one storm. Reddit users pointed to ongoing neglect in other disaster zones as well, from North Carolina’s hurricane recovery to wildfire-ravaged areas in California. Many are drawing a straight line between political motives and humanitarian failures.
Some of the sharpest criticism is directed at the president himself, with users calling out the contradiction between his performative displays of leadership and the on-the-ground reality. While military parades and riot control dominate the headlines, communities like St. Louis remain in crisis. For them, the slogan “Make America Great Again” rings hollow.
One user summed up the situation with brutal clarity. “Fascism is here,” they wrote. And places like St. Louis are the sacrifice zones.