‘Maryland’s Trumpiest city’ both financially and literally underwater after Trump cancels flood protection FEMA grant

Donald Trump voters up and down the nation are suddenly realizing they’re turkeys who enthusiastically voted for Thanksgiving. Whether it’s families who’ve had a member snatched by ICE or business owners whose profits have been destroyed by tariff chaos, many are sorely regretting supporting a man who seems hellbent on tearing apart their lives.

But it’s safe to say few are feeling the sting as fiercely as the citizens of Crisfield, dubbed “Maryland’s Trumpiest city”. Located on the Chesapeake Bay, Crisfield has long been supported by its tourist industry and is known for the National Hard Crab Derby.

Sadly, when it comes to local real estate, the hard crabs are getting their revenge. Crisfield is suffering from frequent flooding from the Bay, with high tides swamping businesses and forcing their closure. As reported by NBC, Crisfield Mayor Darlene Taylor gave them a tour of the many abandoned and waterlogged buildings:

“That was Subway and it used to have to close all the time because of floods or even high tides. There’s nothing in Crisfield that’s not touched by our flooding issue.”

Then, for one brief moment, there was a ray of light for the town. Last year, under the Biden administration, Crisfield secured a life-saving $36 million FEMA grant to be used to floodproof the town. It was a true lifeline, the one thing Crisfield needed to save itself from disaster.

The reaction was joy and relief, with Francis Martinez Myers of the Greater Crisfield Action Coalition saying, “We had 70 investors here. We hosted an investor day and [the mayor] was able to tell all those investors, ‘This is the news. People left here really pumped and excited.”

SAVING CRISFIELD 🦀: Floods threaten a Maryland seafood town. After Trump officials canceled a $36M grant, some residents hope support for the president will help.https://t.co/ncH4IC3I0a

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) August 17, 2025

You don’t have to be Nostradamus to guess what happened next. To stunned silence from the residents, Trump promptly canceled the grant program and the administration refused to consider any appeal from the desperate Trump-voting residents, who sound like they’re in complete denial.

Crab vengeance

Greg Cain, owner of The Crab Place, still refuses to criticize Trump, hoping he’ll take a “second look” at the cancellation: “[I] know he makes a ton of decisions and I’m not gonna criticize him one way or the other.“I think if we just look at it from a merit perspective – they’re not making any more waterfront. You know, we need to save what we have. There’s a huge heritage here.” Buddy, Trump neither knows what nor where Crisfield is and couldn’t care less if your business is six feet underwater.

Trump boat rally in crisfield, Md. 400+ boats, from jon boats to cabin cruisers, crabbing boats, fishing boats and everything else. Tremendous event. pic.twitter.com/SDAhRNKxmD

— the1stbaldeagle (@the1stbaldeagle) August 24, 2024

A court case is underway, arguing that FEMA is acting illegally by canceling these grants. But, frankly, everything we’ve seen so far from the Trump administration indicates that even if the judge ruled the grant must be given, the response would most likely be “nuh-uh” and then daring the court to enforce it.

So, I guess that’s about it for Crisfield. Greg Cain’s “Crab Place” will soon live up to its name as the waters consume it and new pincer-wielding tenants move in, with the town’s Trump voters either having to adapt to amphibious life or move to higher ground. Maybe a few of them might reflect that under Harris, they would have gotten their precious grant, but we suspect their capacity for self-reflection is as limited as the crustaceans they so enthusiastically devour.