Chicago – January 24, 2025
President Donald Trump suggested getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a visit to North Carolina on Friday. The state is recovering from severe flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Trump criticized FEMA’s performance, calling it slow, expensive, and full of unnecessary bureaucracy.
“This is probably one of the best examples of it not working,” Trump said about FEMA’s response in North Carolina, a swing state he won three times. He proposed giving disaster relief funds directly to states instead, allowing governors to handle emergencies more quickly.
Trump announced that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native, would lead the recovery effort alongside the state’s Democratic governor, Josh Stein. He added that FEMA “has been a very big disappointment” and that he’s considering recommending its elimination.
“When there’s a problem with a state, the state should take care of it,” Trump said.
FEMA officials were caught off guard by Trump’s remarks, with staff across the country scrambling to understand how this might affect their work. Former FEMA Chief Deanne Criswell warned that Trump’s plan could weaken emergency response efforts at both federal and state levels.
