Trump Suggests Shifting FEMA Responsibilities to States
In Washington, President Trump continues to express his intention to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and transfer its functions to individual states. This discussion follows the reassessment of FEMA’s role after the 2025 hurricane season was concluded.
“We’re looking to leave FEMA behind and move things to the state level,” Trump mentioned to reporters in the Oval Office. This statement comes a few months after he signed a Presidential Order aimed at conducting a thorough review of the agency.
The President emphasized that state governors should be equipped to manage disaster responses, implying that, if they can’t, perhaps they shouldn’t be in that position.
The executive order from January established the FEMA Review Council, which is tasked with evaluating the agency’s effectiveness. Co-chaired by Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, the Council has yet to release its findings.
This order also addressed concerns about “political bias,” suggesting that the relief team should avoid supporting Trump during the response to Hurricane Milton in October 2024, and raised alarms over illegal partisan activities within FEMA.
Noem insisted that FEMA “needs to fundamentally exist” during an event in the Oval Office.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a range of 6 to 10 hurricanes from June 1 to November 30, with 3 to 5 of those possibly being significant storms.
In the previous year, hurricanes caused about $182.7 billion in damages, which is notably above the average annual cost of $149.3 billion over the last five years, as reported by NOAA.
Trump has hinted at reduced federal disaster aid for recovery efforts in the future, although he mentioned that such assistance could come directly from the president’s office if needed.
During that visit, Trump noted that FEMA had been a “big disappointment” due to its high costs and bureaucratic nature, adding some humor, “We’re very pleased with them,” while assessing the damage in North Carolina.
He also pointed fingers at the previous administration for starting a problematic situation that left many displaced individuals without proper shelter in freezing conditions.
Meanwhile, some Democrats, including Rep. Jared Moskowitz from Florida, support a shift in law to allow states to receive more immediate disaster relief through block grants.
Moskowitz stated, “The bureaucracy at the Department of Homeland Security is impeding FEMA from accomplishing its core mission.” He aligns with the idea that FEMA’s status under DHS should change but does not advocate for its elimination entirely.
