The top line
President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to sign an executive order to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which could include a recommendation to dismantle the agency, marking Trump’s latest criticism. It has been said that efforts to deal with disasters should be done by states instead.
Trump, while visiting the area devastated by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, said that the states … [+]
Key facts
Trump, who spoke during a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, said he would sign an executive order “fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA,” including “possibly getting rid” of the agency.
Although he did not specify what changes would be made to FEMA, Trump suggested that disaster relief funding would come directly from the federal government, but said that “when a state If there is a problem, I think the state should take care of it.”
The federal government will provide “a lot of money” to repair damage from Hurricane Helene — which devastated Asheville and other parts of the Southeast in September — and help with cleanup efforts, including 75% of the funds, Trump said.
Trump Criticized FEMA said in an interview with Fox News earlier this week that they would “rather see states handle their own problems” while claiming that FEMA has not “done its job over the last four years.”
This is a developing story.
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Important quote
“I think, frankly, FEMA is not good,” Trump said. “I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to use your state to fix it and not waste time calling FEMA.”
