In Asheville, North Carolina, President Donald Trump announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at “fundamentally reforming” (FEMA) the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggesting the possibility of eliminating the agency altogether. Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with FEMA, describing it as “a very big disappointment” that is “bureaucratic” and “slow,” while also highlighting the significant costs associated with its operations.
During the briefing, which included North Carolina officials, Trump emphasized his preference for states to receive direct federal payouts for disaster relief rather than relying on FEMA’s coordination. “When you have a problem like this whether it’s a Democrat or Republican governor, you want to use your state to fix it, not waste time calling FEMA,” he stated. Trump criticized FEMA’s response times and claimed that agency personnel often lack familiarity with the affected areas.
The president’s remarks come in the wake of severe flooding and infrastructure damage in western North Carolina, which has left many mountain communities isolated. The recovery efforts have been complicated by misinformation circulating online, including claims made by Trump himself, which have muddied the waters regarding the scale and nature of relief efforts at both state and federal levels.
Trump also took the opportunity to criticize the previous administration’s handling of disaster relief, citing an incident in Florida where a FEMA worker allegedly advised responders to avoid homes displaying pro-Trump signs. He reiterated a false narrative that FEMA funds were misallocated to provide housing for undocumented migrants, stating, “It doesn’t matter at this point, Biden did a bad job.”
To assist with the recovery efforts in North Carolina, Trump announced that he would appoint Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee and former head of the North Carolina GOP, to lead the initiative. “If he does half as good a job for North Carolina as he did for my campaign, we’ll be very happy,” Trump remarked.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, joined Trump at the briefing and expressed gratitude for the president’s visit, calling it a “positive signal.” Stein requested an additional $20 billion in federal relief and six more months of full FEMA reimbursement to aid recovery efforts. However, his statement did not address Trump’s comments about potentially eliminating FEMA.
“Families, businesses, and communities are struggling and need these urgent resources to help them rebuild,” Stein said. He expressed optimism about collaborating with the Trump administration in the coming weeks and months to secure the necessary support for recovery.
The briefing was attended by several notable figures, including First Lady Melania Trump, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and various North Carolina lawmakers.
In response to Trump’s proposal to eliminate FEMA, Democratic U.S. Representative Deborah Ross of Wake County voiced her concerns on social media. “FEMA has been a crucial partner in our fight to recover from Hurricane Helene,” she wrote. “I appreciate President Trump’s concern about western NC, but eliminating FEMA would be a disaster for our state.”
This visit marks Trump’s first trip outside Washington since his inauguration for a second term, and it was followed by a visit to fire-stricken areas in Los Angeles. The president’s comments and proposed changes to FEMA are likely to spark further debate about the agency’s role in disaster response and recovery efforts across the nation.
