President Donald Trump is advocating for a major shift in the way the U.S. handles emergency responses, suggesting that states, rather than FEMA, should take the lead. In an interview with Fox News, Trump criticized FEMA’s handling of disasters under the Biden administration, claiming the agency has “not done its job” in recent years.
“FEMA has not done their job for the last four years,” Trump said. “FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly because I would rather see the states take care of their own problems… and then the federal government can help them out with the money.”
States should lead; federal government should provide aid
Trump argued that state governments should be responsible for emergency response, with federal support limited to financial aid. He emphasized that states should manage their own crises without what he called interference from FEMA.
He pointed to Oklahoma as an example, stating that if a tornado strikes, the state should handle the response with federal aid dollars, but not federal workers.
FEMA is a government agency with more than 20,000 employees.
Trump to visit disaster areas nationwide
On Friday, Jan. 24, Trump will travel across the country, from North Carolina to California, to visit areas devastated by natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene’s historic floods and the LA Palisades wildfires.
Trump has long criticized FEMA’s disaster response, arguing that it has been influenced by political bias and needs reform. Alongside fellow GOP leaders, he has called for changes to the agency.
Democrats respond to Trump’s FEMA criticism
However, Democrats largely disagree with these claims, defending the agency’s work and its necessity.
California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman reposted a Trump-Hannity clip on X, writing, “Saying we should get rid of FEMA and force people to fend for themselves is an appalling take from President Trump. The federal government is here to help the people of America – not leave them in the lurch when disaster strikes.”
It remains unclear whether Trump will propose an alternative to FEMA or overhaul the agency. Trump teased during his Fox interview with Sean Hannity that announcements on FEMA’s future will be made soon.
