President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to sign an executive order to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which may include a recommendation to abolish the agency. This marks Trump’s latest criticism of FEMA, suggesting that disaster response efforts should be managed by the states.
During a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, Trump stated that he would sign an executive order to “fundamentally reform and overhaul FEMA,” including the possibility of “maybe getting rid of” the agency. Although he did not specify the exact changes, Trump suggested that disaster aid funding would come directly from the federal government, but emphasized that states should handle their own problems.
“The federal government would supply a lot of the money to repair damage caused by Hurricane Helene—which devastated Asheville and other parts of the Southeast in September—and assist with clean-up efforts, including as much as 75% of required funds,” Trump said.
Trump criticized FEMA in an interview with Fox News earlier this week, stating that he would “rather see the states take care of their own problems” and claiming that FEMA has not done its “job the last four years.” He added, “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good. I think when you have a problem like this, you want to use your state to fix it and not waste time calling FEMA.”
What is FEMA?
Established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, FEMA is the federal government’s agency tasked with responding to “unpredictable and devastating disasters.” FEMA assists after local and state officials request a presidential emergency declaration, indicating that a state is overwhelmed and unable to handle a disaster on its own. The agency reimburses state and local governments for recovery efforts, including debris removal, and provides financial assistance to affected communities and residents.
Trump previously alleged that FEMA had depleted its funds after spending “billions of dollars” on housing migrants. While former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged that FEMA’s disaster relief efforts faced a cash crunch, the funding used by FEMA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to shelter migrants is through a program separate from the Disaster Relief Fund. Trump also claimed that FEMA notified hurricane victims they would only receive $750 in relief and nothing else, though the agency noted this figure is specifically for Serious Needs Assistance, an immediate aid fund for disaster victims to pay for food, water, and emergency supplies.
Trump has threatened to withhold federal disaster funds from California, which faces a series of wildfires across Los Angeles County, after blaming the state’s fish conservation efforts for water shortages that hampered firefighting efforts. Trump claimed that California Gov. Gavin Newsom could “release the water that comes from the north” to combat the fires, suggesting “all they have to do is turn the valve.” Water experts in the state have disputed this theory, noting that reservoirs in Southern California were full of water at the start of the year and that issues with firefighting had other causes.
Trump is traveling to Asheville and California on Friday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles County wildfires. His criticism of federal disaster relief efforts has increased in recent months, and he has said he would be “looking at the whole concept” of the agency while pursuing overhauls. Trump has expressed a preference for states to handle disaster relief because he believes the process would be faster than the federal government sending in FEMA.
Michael Coen, FEMA’s chief of staff during the Biden administration, reportedly said Trump was “misinformed” about the agency, stating that Trump was “going to pick winners and losers” on which communities would receive relief. Other former FEMA officials suggest that Trump’s recommendation to require states to handle disaster relief could be beneficial. Daniel Kaniewsky, a FEMA official during Trump’s first term, told the New York Times that FEMA is overextended and that disaster relief “burdens should be shared at all levels of government.”
