Trump suggests states should handle emergency response instead of FEMA
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President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump plans to have a "whole big discussion very shortly" on the Federal Emergency Management Agency because he'd "rather see the states take care of their own problems," according to an interview broadcast Wednesday evening.
Why it matters: Trump has signed a multitude of executive orders since taking office again on Monday and he indicated on Fox News in his first interview since being inaugurated that he could have FEMA in his sights.
- Trump and others in the GOP have in recent months complained that FEMA's disaster response has been biased against Republicans.
Driving the news: "The FEMA is getting in the way of everything," Trump said on Fox News' "Hannity."
- "FEMA is a whole 'nother discussion because all it does is complicate everything," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity in the prerecorded interview.
- "FEMA has not done their job for the last four years."
- Trump gave the example of if Oklahoma were hit by a tornado, then the state should be allowed to respond "and then the federal government can help them out with the money."
Flashback: After Trump and others amplified claims that FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene was biased against Republicans affected by the storm in North Carolina and that money for those impacted was diverted to housing for illegal immigrants, the agency launched a fact-checking page on its storm response.
Between the lines: Trump's suggestion would require a major shakeup in emergency response, given how Congress has expanded FEMA's authority by assigning responsibilities to it, codifying it in various laws.
- But given how his administration has moved to crack down on undocumented immigrants and stamp out federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs during his first week back in office, such an overhaul cannot be ruled out.
- Project 2025 suggests "reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government" — though during the 2024 campaign Trump disavowed the Heritage Foundation-backed blueprint that some of his Cabinet picks have ties to.
Zoom in: FEMA employs over 20,000 people nationwide, with headquarters in D.C. and 10 regional offices, as the agency responds to disasters and other emergency situations by providing financial and on-the-ground assistance.
- It was officially created in a 1979 executive order by then-President Carter and became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, according to the agency's website.
- Congress passed legislation in 2006 that established FEMA as a distinct agency within DHS following the devastating Hurricane Katrina the previous year.
Zoom out: Trump also discussed with Hannity his planned Friday visits to wildfire-hit California and North Carolina — where FEMA announced Monday it was extending its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program for two months in response to the state's request for further assistance for families displaced by Hurricane Helene.
- As Southern California faces fresh wildfire threats, Trump told Hannity "I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow down into their system."
- Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Go deeper: Florida sues FEMA for alleged Trump supporter discrimination after hurricanes
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from President Trump and further context. Andrew Freedman contributed reporting.
