WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday ended his bid to force a number of states pay for part of the cost of National Guard troops deployed to help with coronavirus efforts.
In a series of memorandums, Trump announced he was adding Arizona, California and Connecticut to the small list of states exempt from being forced to pony up a quarter of the deployment costs.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration will now cover the full cost of the Guard.
State governors pleaded with the president to pick up the tab until the end of 2020 as they face dire financial situations caused by the pandemic.
Up to 25,000 National Guard soldiers are on duty across the country to assist with building field hospitals, running testing sites and managing food banks.
Federal support for the Guard was due to run out on Aug. 21, but with the virus still ravaging parts of the country, the president this week extended the deployment of troops until Dec. 31.
