Chicago – MARCH 22, 2025
President Trump has signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in preparing for disasters. For months, Trump has said he’s considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the country’s disaster response arm.
“I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government,” Trump said while visiting the Los Angeles fires in January. “FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation.”
But emergency management experts say Trump’s order technically wouldn’t do much to shift responsibility. Currently, local and state governments are already in charge of disasters. The question is whether the Trump administration will begin withdrawing the federal resources and funding that states rely on.
When a major hurricane, flood or wildfire hits, FEMA starts working on a disaster only when requested by the state government. The agency organizes thousands of federal workers who help in disaster response and process claims for millions of dollars in aid. Even then, states and local governments still remain in charge.
