President Donald Trump warned late Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would face a crackdown after four years under the Biden administration, arguing that the emergency agency “has not done its job.”
“FEMA hasn’t been doing its job for the last four years. You know, FEMA has been doing a really good job. We’ve had hurricanes in Florida. We’ve had tornadoes in Alabama. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, going into And FEMA is going to be all over great debate, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Sean. Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration.
Trump then turned his attention to the state of Oklahoma, touting that he won all 77 of the state’s 2024 counties, and arguing that if the Sooner state is hit by a tornado, state leaders should take the lead in the emergency response before the federal government seeks additional help.
“I love Oklahoma, but you know what? If they get hit by a tornado or something, let Oklahoma fix it. … And then the federal government can help them with money. FEMA gets in the way of everything, and the Democrats are actually using FEMA to not help North Carolina Trump continued.
TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANNS VISIT NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS
President Donald Trump sits down for an interview with Fox News. (Fox News / Hannity)
FEMA came under the national microscope last year when Hurricane Helene tore through North Carolina, devastating residents as it destroyed homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration have faced fierce backlash over its handling of the emergency, while Trump has accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas.
“Democrats i don’t care about north carolina. What they did with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a complete ‘no-brainer, because it just complicates everything,’ he said.
TRUMP SAYS: NEWSOM IS ‘GUILABLE’ FOR ‘APOCALYPTIC’ FIRES
“So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, I’m stopping first, because the Democrats have treated those people badly. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get this thing done because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from a few months ago,” Trump said.
Flooding caused by Hurricane Helena in western North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents devastated by a hurricane in September. On the same day, he will also visit California, where this month wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area.
The trip was set up to highlight what Trump described as emergency response failures by Democratic leaders.
FLASHING HUGHES FIRE ERASES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS
A house burns as the Palisades Fire rages in Mandeville Canyon, in Los Angeles, California, USA, on January 11, 2025. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
“And then I will go to go to California” he said, before criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of wildfire prevention and response. Trump has long criticized the Democratic governor for prioritizing environmental policies, such as protecting dwindling salmon and Chinook salmon populations, and the non-use of water sources in the northern part of the state, which he claimed would allow a better response to the fire.
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“There are huge amounts of water, rainwater and mountain water, that comes with the snow, comes down, as it melts, there is so much water that they release it into the Pacific Ocean,” he said.
