Trump Wants U.S. Should “wean off’ FEMA
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants the U.S. to begin moving away from reliance on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), suggesting disaster response should fall more squarely on state governors.
“We’re moving it back to the states so the governors can handle it,” he said. “That’s why they’re governors. Now, if they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor.”
Speaking from the Oval Office during a briefing on wildfire and hurricane preparedness, Trump reiterated his belief that FEMA has been overused and criticized the agency’s past efforts.
He believes particularly in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, where he’s also previously shared misleading information about FEMA’s role.
His remarks come just weeks after the acting FEMA administrator was ousted following congressional testimony in which he pushed back against efforts to scale back the agency.
