January 24, 2025
Trump Visits NC, Threatens To Eliminate ‘FEMA’: ‘It’s Just Not Good’
We need FEMA to stay put....
President Donald Trump talked about eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, since it’s “just not good,” while visiting the devastation that Hurricane Helene left in Asheville, North Carolina, Fox News reports.
During his visit, alongside first lady Melania, Trump promised that his new federal administration would step in to help the Tar Heel state. However, his tone quickly changed, saying that the states should take care of natural disaster damage while seemingly blaming former President Joe Biden. “We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can. It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down,” he said while sitting beside local and state leaders.
“And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”
To rectify the problem, Trump said he may eliminate FEMA altogether. “I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” the indicted President said.
“I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”
He went back and forth on staying with the federal agency or giving control to the states. FEMA was designed to respond to disasters declared by the President of the United States, along with helping citizens and first responders prepare for, protect against, and recover from uncontrollable disasters. During his visit, he alleged he would work with the lawmakers of the affected areas since FEMA was “not on the ball.” “So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with],” Trump said.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claims that only half of Helene’s debris recovery, which pounded through the state in September 2024, is complete. Under the Transitional Housing Assistance program, the agency is footing the hotel bill for hundreds of displaced families.
Asheville is one of Trump’s first visits since taking office on MLK Day 2024. He is scheduled to visit Los Angeles, which has been stricken with wildfires since early January 2025. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a huge trump critic, has been calling on the federal government to assist more. According to Politico, he said he hasn’t heard from the new President yet but plans to greet him before his tour — whether he is invited or not. “I look forward to being there on the tarmac to thank the president, welcome him, and we’re making sure that all the resources he needs for a successful briefing are provided to him,” Newsom said.
“There’s no limit to the resources we’ll provide for that briefing.”
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