Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said Monday that local communities are facing "devastation" and that the state will need Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding "at the least" after violent tornadoes took dozens of lives over the weekend.
Hawley, who spoke to Fox News Digital on the phone while walking through Missouri neighborhoods ravaged by the storms, emphasized that "a lot of people are hurting."
"These aren't just pieces of real estate," Hawley explained. "I mean, these are homes that people grew up in. These are neighborhoods where families raise their kids going back two, three, four, generations. I talked to one guy who had been in the neighborhood. His family had been in the neighborhood since his great-grandmother came there at the turn of the last century."
"Unless they're going to need to be rebuilt, the federal government is going to need to play a big role here with FEMA relief, disaster relief, and we want to get all of that as soon as possible," he said.
Fox Weather reported that the rating of the powerful storm was at least an EF-3, turning homes and businesses in its path into rubble.
At least 26 people were killed over the weekend across the region. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the death count in Kentucky alone sits at 19, and Hawley’s office said the count in Missouri was at least 7.
"We have lost 19 people to this weather event, each one a child of God who will be missed by their families," Beshear said in a post on X. "Please keep praying for them, the 10 individuals being treated at UK Hospital, and for everyone affected by these storms."
Hawley's push for FEMA assistance comes as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called for eliminating the agency as it exists today.
In addition to calling for federal assistance, Hawley was also quick to point out private insurance providers will need to step up and fairly pay out claims to assist with recovery efforts, noting he is separately "in the middle of an investigation of the major insurance companies."
"I talked to person after person today whose roofs have been ripped off, whose windows are bashed in," Hawley told Fox News Digital. "These people need to get their policies paid out. They've been faithful premium holders, faithful premium payers. They need the policies paid out. And that's something that's going to make a huge, huge difference."
Recovering from the devastation could take some time in local communities, and it was reported that roughly 700,000 lost power across the region during the height of the storm.
"I expect that our governor will soon make an emergency request for disaster relief, and we'd certainly hope that FEMA would act on that. ASAP," Hawley added.
While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency.
FEMA is currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA as its own separate agency, according to a discussion draft of the legislation released Thursday.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking member Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading the legislation.
Other proposals included in the draft legislation are instructing the Office of Management and Budget to create a centralized website tracking disaster assistance recovery across the federal government, and allowing FEMA to foot the bill for repairs to homes suffering damage in disasters.
Currently, FEMA only covers expenses that make a home livable following disasters.
"By releasing this discussion draft legislation, we hope to engage our colleagues and stakeholders on comprehensive FEMA reform," Graves said in a Thursday statement. "This draft bill includes substantive changes that will transform FEMA and our emergency programs to be much more state and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by the federal government."
While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have voiced support for eradicating FEMA, the former acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting the agency on Wednesday.
"I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday.
"Having said that, I’m not in a position to make a decision," Hamilton said. "That is a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body."
However, Hamilton, who previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started leading FEMA in January, was ousted from his post Thursday.
FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was no longer with the agency.
Days after his inauguration in January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state's efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the disaster relief efforts.
"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."
The executive order established a review council to evaluate potential reforms to FEMA, including whether the agency’s bureaucracy restricts its ability to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s budget proposal includes plans to slash nearly $650 million in FEMA grants.
On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s current setup should be quashed.
"He believes that FEMA and its response in many, many circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA as it exists today should be eliminated," Noem said.
The acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer with the agency — just a day after telling lawmakers that cutting FEMA, as President Donald Trump has proposed, is a bad move.
Cameron Hamilton, who previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8, has led FEMA since January.
"Effective today, David Richardson is now serving as the Senior Official Performing the duties of the FEMA Administrator," a FEMA spokesperson said in a Thursday email to Fox News Digital. "Cameron Hamilton is no longer serving in this capacity."
Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski requested Hamilton appear at Homeland Security headquarters on Thursday morning and informed him of his ouster, Politico reported.
While Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have voiced support for eradicating FEMA, Hamilton cautioned Wednesday against eliminating the agency.
"I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton told lawmakers on the House Committee on Appropriations.
Days after his inauguration in January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state's efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the disaster relief efforts.
"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."
A Rhode Island federal judge targeted for impeachment dealt the Trump administration a legal blow on Friday, ordering it to lift a freeze on federal funds.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to unfreeze federal funds to states after plaintiffs alleged the agency had failed to comply with an earlier court order.
The lawsuit was originally launched by 22 states and the District of Columbia, challenging the Trump administration’s decision to block funding for programs like the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other environmental initiatives.
Plaintiffs in the suit, including the states of New York, California, Illinois and Rhode Island, argued that FEMA's implementation of a manual review process for payment requests violated a previous preliminary injunction issued by McConnell. The states argued that the review "constitutes 'a categorical pause or freeze of funding appropriate by Congress.'"
The defendants, which include President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), responded that the review did not violate the order because "FEMA is relying on its own independent authorities to implement the process rather than the OMB Directive."
McConnell concluded that the plaintiffs had "presented evidence that strongly suggests that FEMA is implementing this manual review process based, covertly, on the President's January 20, 2025 executive order."
"The Court reaffirms its preliminary injunction order," McConnell wrote.
McConnell had issued a restraining order in late January that enjoined the defendants from freezing federal funds. This came after OMB released a memo on Jan. 27 announcing the administration's plans to temporarily pause federal grants and loans. The White House later rescinded the memo on Jan. 29.
However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a "recission of the federal funding freeze."
After McConnell ordered the administration to comply with the restraining order, the government appealed to the First Circuit — which refused to stay the orders.
McConnell also recently made headlines after becoming one of several federal judges hit with impeachment articles.
Georgia Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde formally introduced his articles of impeachment against McConnell on March 24, after his initial announcement in February.
The articles, first shared with Fox News Digital, charged McConnell with abuse of power and conflicts of interest, stating he "knowingly politicized and weaponized his judicial position to advance his own political views and beliefs."
"The American people overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in November, providing a clear mandate to make our federal government more efficient," Clyde told Fox News Digital. "Yet Judge McConnell, who stands to benefit from his own injunction, is attempting to unilaterally obstruct the president’s agenda and defy the will of the American people. Judge McConnell’s actions are corrupt, dangerous, and worthy of impeachment."
Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Monday that will put states and local jurisdictions in the driver's seat of preparing and responding to disasters, Fox News Digital learned.
"This Order restores state, local, and individual empowerment in disaster preparedness and response, and injects common sense into infrastructure prioritization and strategic investments through risk-informed decisions that make our infrastructure, communities, and economy more resilient to global and dynamic threats and hazards," details on the order obtained by Fox News Digital show.
The order emphasizes the role of states, localities and individual leadership over federal leadership while preparing for and coping with disasters — such as flooding or fires — and will "streamline" federal functions so local communities can more easily work with federal leaders in Washington, Fox News Digital learned.
It also will establish the National Resilience Strategy, which will outline the "priorities, means, and ways to advance the resilience of the nation" while pinpointing risks to key national infrastructure and related systems, Fox Digital learned.
Officials will be called to review "all infrastructure, continuity, and preparedness and response policies" to ensure they fall in line with the National Resilience Strategy.
The order will shift the federal government's "all-hazards" approach to handling disasters to a "risk-informed approach" that will prioritize "resilience and action over mere information sharing," Fox Digital learned.
Trump has railed against the nation's response to natural disasters under the Biden administration. He told Fox News' Sean Hannity just days after his inauguration that "FEMA has not done their job for the last four years" and he would like to see "states take care of their own problems" as they have historically relied on the federal government and its resources and funds to handle disasters.
FEMA came under the nation's microscope in 2024 when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas.
Trump signed a separate executive order in January establishing FEMA Review Council to "drastically" improve the federal agency tasked with handling disaster assistance across the nation.
"Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most," that executive order read. "There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President."
Trump additionally has railed against left-wing policies that he says have compounded natural disaster response, most notably in California over its water infrastructure policies that he said contributed to the raging wildfires that destroyed swaths of areas around Los Angeles in January.
"Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way," Trump posted to Truth Social in January as the wildfires spread.
Trump signed a separate executive order on Jan. 24 that provides additional water resources to California to improve the state's response to disaster.
The order Trump is expected to sign on Monday will serve as a continuation of his pledge "to shift power from Washington to the American people," similar to the California executive order and establishing the FEMA Review Council in January, Fox Digital learned.
New York City filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday seeking to wrestle back more than $80 million previously sent to the city via the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house migrants.
The suit argues that the funds were previously approved and then paid out by FEMA, only to be removed from a city bank account on Feb. 11 without notice or administrative process.
The funding had been revoked after Elon Musk claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency found a $59 million FEMA payment to New York City that was being used on luxury hotels to house illegal migrants. Trump later repeated Musk's claim and argued that "massive fraud" was happening.
New York City was awarded two separate grants during the Biden administration – one for $58.6 million and another for $21.9 million – as the city attempted to pay to house migrants, many of whom were sent by Texas officials who were frustrated with the Biden administration's handling of the influx of migrants entering the U.S. through the southern border.
The payments were made under the Shelter and Services Program (SPP) that Congress appropriated $650 million for last year to help local governments respond to the migrant crisis.There are currently fewer than 45,000 migrants staying at taxpayer-funded shelters in New York City, up from a high of 69,000 more than a year ago.
Friday’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by the city’s law department, which handles the city’s legal affairs, against President Donald Trump, the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The lawsuit accuses the federal government of violating federal regulations and the terms of the SSP grant, as well as abusing the federal government’s authority and obligations to implement congressionally approved and funded programs.
The suit argues that on Feb. 19, the federal government belatedly provided the city with a "noncompliance" letter that did not identify any noncompliance by the city.
"Rather, it announced ‘concerns,’ which are unfounded and do not comport with how the city has managed the unprecedented crisis brought to its doorstep," the law department said.
Citing the government’s actions as a "money grab," the law department said the letter was a "mere cover" to mask the federal government’s real purpose, which is to permanently withhold the funds because it opposes their use on migrants.
The city is looking to recoup the funds and is seeking a motion for a preliminary and permanent injunction, and motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended and supported the lawsuit in a series of posts on X late Friday, writing that the $80 million was approved, paid for and then rescinded – all while the city spent more than $7 billion of its own taxpayer money to tackle the crisis over the last three years.
"We are going to work to ensure our city’s residents get every dollar they are owed," Adams wrote in on post.
"Without a doubt, our immigration system is broken, but the cost of managing an international humanitarian crisis should not overwhelmingly fall onto one city alone. We have skillfully shouldered the cost of this humanitarian crisis almost entirely on our own, with more than 231,000 people entering our city seeking shelter."
Meanwhile, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander claimed the suit came about after he forced Adams’ hand on the matter. Adams has come under fire from New York Democrats over his decision to be more cooperative with federal immigration agencies in apprehending criminal illegal migrants amid the Justice Department efforts to dismiss corruption charges against him.
"After my office discovered that Elon Musk and his DOGE goon squad stole $80 million out of the City’s coffers, we successfully pressured Mayor Adams to allow the City’s lawyers to sue the federal government to get our money back," Lander said in a statement.
"The lawyers who are standing up to President Trump and Eric Adams’ collusion deserve praise and we look forward to Donald Trump returning the money he stole from New York."
Lander is running against Adams in the mayoral election later this year.
The government's leading disaster relief agency reportedly spent millions on hotels for illegal immigrants just last week, according to Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration's efforts to cut government spending.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by the tech billionaire, has been conducting a sweep of federal funding and identifying areas in which "waste" within the government can be slashed. Musk found his most recent target in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government's disaster relief branch that recently sparked concern over a reported lack of funds during Hurricane Helene.
"The @DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants," Musk claimed in a post on X on Monday morning.
During former President Biden's term, FEMA faced backlash after it was reported that while they lacked the necessary funds needed to help Hurricane Helene victims, they were dishing out money that ended up being used to aid illegal immigrants.
Speaker Mike Johnson clarified that emergency relief funding is separate from FEMA funds allocated to immigration, but said that the agency should not have any part in funding the border crisis.
FEMA partners with Customs and Border Control (CBP) and administers money to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), a government-funded program that provides assistance and housing for illegal immigrants released into the U.S.
In his message Monday, Musk charged that "sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order," which put FEMA under review to improve the agency’s "efficacy, priorities and competence."
"That money is meant for American disaster relief," Musk wrote.
A New York City Hall spokesperson confirmed to Fox that the city had received funds "through the past week" that were allocated by the Biden administration for the purpose of housing and supporting illegal immigrants.
Of the $59.3 million, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balance funded other services such as food and security. According to NY City Hall, the funds were not part of a disaster relief grant.
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that those who made the payment will be "held accountable."
"As Secretary Noem said yesterday, we must get rid of FEMA the way it exists today. This is yet another egregious example," DHS said in a statement. "Individuals who circumvented leadership and unilaterally made this payment will be fired and held accountable."
The report comes just one day after Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, suggested getting rid of FEMA "the way it exists today."
After Hurricane Helene made its deadly sweep across the south in the fall, Republican lawmakers warned that "FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’ efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission."
President Donald Trump has also called for FEMA to be reformed, suggesting during his first week in office that states be in control of their own disaster funding.
"FEMA has turned out to be a disaster," Trump said while delivering remarks on the Hurricane Helene damage in January. "I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly — we pay a percentage to the state."
Fox News Digital reached out to FEMA for comment.
Fox News' Grace Taggart, Adam Shaw and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that she supported getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "the way it exists today."
In an appearance on CNN’s "State of the Union," Noem’s stance appeared in line with that of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who have both suggested shutting down FEMA could be an option, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reportedly gained access to FEMA’s sensitive disaster relief data to review its programs.
"Can and should Donald Trump shut it down?" CNN’s Dana Bash asked Noem.
"He can. And I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team," Noem said. "And he's talking about it, which I'm grateful for. He'll work with Congress, though, to make sure that it's done correctly and that we're still there to help folks who have a terrible disaster or a crisis in their life. He's been very clear that he still believes there's a role for the federal government to come in and help people get back up on their feet. But there's a lot of fraud and waste and abuse out there. And since President Trump has taken over and come back into this administration, we've seen incredible change."
Noem, who visited Asheville, North Carolina, on Saturday to meet with Hurricane Helene victims and survey the damage, told CNN that she oversaw 12 different natural disasters that prompted a FEMA response when she was governor of South Dakota.
As Trump considers block grants for state and local officials experiencing natural disasters, Noem said Sunday that she knew from experience that local officials, such as county emergency management directors, mayors, city council and commissioners "made way better decisions than the people in Washington, D.C."
Asked what she would tell Trump if the president asked her to get rid of FEMA, Noem said, "I would say yes, get rid of FEMA the way it exists today."
"We still need the resources and the funds and the finances to go to people that have these types of disasters like Hurricane Helene and the fires in California," Noem told Bash. "But you need to let the local officials make the decisions on how that is deployed so it can be deployed much quicker. And we don't need this bureaucracy that's picking and choosing winners."
Noem said Trump "has been clear, too, that he still wants to help people," but condemned FEMA for "targeting individuals, helping some people and not others." The secretary appeared to be referencing how FEMA employees under former President Biden skipped homes in hurricane-ravaged areas that had displayed pro-Trump signs last year.
Noem also referenced how Trump managed to close 80% of the open FEMA cases in North Carolina related to Hurricane Helene," adding, "It's amazing when you have somebody who cares … how quickly the response can be."
The DHS secretary also defended Musk, as DOGE conducts an audit of federal agencies.
"We're working with them at the president's direction to find what we can do to make our department much more efficient," Noem said. "This is essentially an audit of the federal government…. And one of the things I've been very clear to the appropriators in the Senate and the House is please give me the authority to reprogram funds."
Asked if she felt comfortable with Musk's data access, Noem said, "Elon Musk is part of the administration that is helping us identify where we can find savings and what we can do. And he has gone through the processes to make sure that he has the authority. The president has appointed him. I am today by the work that he is doing, by identifying waste, fraud and abuse. And his information that he has is looking at programs, not focusing on personal data and information."
After the interview, Musk posted to X on Monday morning that his DOGE team discovered that FEMA last week alone sent $59 million to "luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants." Musk said that "sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order," and, "that money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!"
President Donald Trump put the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under review on Sunday after signing an executive order aimed at "drastically" improving the agency’s efficacy, priorities and competence.
Trump’s executive order establishes the FEMA Review Council, which will be composed of no more than 20 members and co-chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.
The council is being formed after FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters showed the need to improve "efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA’s bureaucracy in disaster response" hinders its ability to respond successfully.
"Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most," the executive order reads. "There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President."
Trump also said FEMA has lost mission focus, diverting limited resources and staff to support missions outside its scope and authority. The president particularly highlighted that FEMA has spent over a billion dollars welcoming illegal immigrants.
"Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters," the order continued. "FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience."
Trump announced Friday that he plans to overhaul FEMA as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm devastated the state.
"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."
Trump promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state.
The president also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief.
So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for through its Transitional Housing Assistance program.
Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency as North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene – more than 120 days after the storm struck the state.
"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina Friday morning. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."
Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state.
"We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said. "It's a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over. We're going to do a good job."
Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief.
Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was "not on the ball" in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane.
"So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with]," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response."
So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of debris recovery for Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program.
While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension.
"It's been a horrible thing the way that's been allowed to fester and we're going to get it fixed up," Trump told reporters at the White House Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. "It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina's been treated very badly so we're stopping there."
Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "Democrats don’t care about North Carolina" and that’s why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term.
Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month.
"It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it," Trump said. "But it is a bad, bad situation."
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump warned late Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has "not done their job."
"FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it's really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, 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 counties in the 2024 election, and arguing that if the Sooner State is hit by a tornado, state leaders should take the lead on emergency response before the federal government steps in for additional assistance.
"I love Oklahoma, but you know what? If they get hit with a tornado or something, let Oklahoma fix it. … And then the federal government can help them out with the money. FEMA is getting in the way of everything, and the Democrats actually use FEMA not to help North Carolina," Trump continued.
FEMA came under the nation's microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas.
"The Democrats don't care about North Carolina. What they've done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole 'nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything," he said.
"So I'm stopping on Friday. I'm stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I'm stopping there. We're going to get that thing straightened out because they're still suffering from a hurricane from months ago," Trump said.
Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month.
The trip is set to highlight what Trump has described as emergency response failures at the hands of Democratic leaders.
"And then I'm going to then I'm going 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 the dwindling smelt and Chinook salmon populations, and not tapping water sources in the northern part of the state that he argued would allow better fire response.
"There is massive amounts of water, rain water and mountain water, that comes to with the snow, comes down, as it melts, there's so much water they're releasing it into the Pacific Ocean," he said.
President Biden said the federal government will provide one-time payments of $770 to people impacted by the ongoing California wildfires, so they can pay for essentials like baby formula, prescriptions, clothes and food.
Biden made the announcement Thursday evening during a briefing from the Oval Office on the situation in Southern California. According to the president, nearly 6,000 people had been approved to receive the payments thus far, leading to a total of $5.1 million that has already gone out through this program.
"We're not waiting until those fires are over to start helping the victims. We're getting them help right now," Biden said from the Oval Office.
The president approved California's disaster declaration on Jan. 8, opening up federal funding to affected individuals in Los Angeles for the purposes of temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the wildfires. Additionally, the president pledged that the federal government would cover 100% of the cost of California's disaster response for a period of six months.
Meanwhile, during the Monday evening briefing, Biden called on Congress to step up with more funding for the wildfire and its victims.
"It’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles to what it was," Biden said during a briefing with Vice President Kamala Harris and emergency officials. "We are going to need Congress to step up with the funding."
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell indicated during the Monday briefing that a total of 33,000 people impacted by the California fires had requested federal assistance. She said the number continues to rise, and they don't expect it to slow down in the near term.
Criswell added during the Monday Oval Office briefing that about 700 to 800 people were currently staying in eight emergency shelters as a result of the wildfire, noting that meant a lot of folks had found shelter with family and friends, or in hotel rooms. Criswell said that through the federal government's disaster declaration, people staying in hotels could be reimbursed for the costs.
In addition to FEMA, the Department of Defense and National Guard have also deployed federal resources to help fight the fires that have claimed at least 24 lives so far.
How to cut federal spending – and by how much – consumes Congressional Republicans right now.
Firestorms are scorching Southern California. But a political firestorm is about to singe Capitol Hill.
The natural disaster dynamic has morphed into a regular fiscal nightmare in Congress. And frankly, the way lawmakers address natural disasters creates a hyper obstacle to making a serious dent in the deficit and national debt.
"We know this is going to be billions," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
President Biden is vowing help.
"We’re going to pay for it. And we've got to be prepared to pay for it," said the president. "We're going to need the United States Congress to follow up with appropriations to help provide significant help for our fellow Americans who need this help."
Catastrophic natural disasters now pummel different quarters of the U.S. at an alarming rate. Devastating wildfires swept across Maui in 2023. Tornado outbreaks are the norm. Blackouts from the heat – or blizzards coupled with bone-chilling cold – dim the power grid. The dual hurricanes of Milton and Helene spun through the south last year, chewing through property just days apart in the fall. Water spilled out of rivers, creeks, steams, brooks and culverts, submerging entire communities.
Congress coughed up $100 billion just before Christmas to help victims recover from the hurricanes. Some of that money went to help people restart their businesses or cover costs to rebuild. $27 billion of it went to reload FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to prepare for future emergencies – like the one now incinerating the Golden State. Milton and Helene drained the DRF.
But Republicans now run Congress. President-elect Trump soon occupies the Oval Office. And when it comes to California – and what may have sparked the fires, Republicans could be reluctant to assist. That’s especially true as the mantra from Republicans is to slash $2 trillion in spending. In fact, there’s a fear among some Democrats that Congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump may try to penalize California – because it leans to the left.
Republicans now run the House and Senate. Mr. Trump takes office next week.
"When it comes to Congressional funding, the idea that we're going to have an open checkbook, no matter how bad your policies are, is crazy," said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on FOX Business.
Democrats warned against partisan and region discord when natural disasters strike.
"California has voted to support supplemental packages for hurricanes in the American South. And now this is our time of need," said Whitesides.
Several Northern California Republicans told Fox that Democrats from Southern California were exceptionally helpful muscling through aid for their part of the state after wildfires.
So what happens when the bill comes due for the Los Angeles wildfires?
"We help all Americans," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee which oversees FEMA.
Thompson was confident Congress would meet the needs of California.
"If we need to do more, we will," said Thompson.
Some Republicans blamed the wildfires - and the response - on liberal Democrats who run much of California.
"It is an epic disaster of mismanagement," said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on FOX Business.
"What'shappened in California is the fault of (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom (D) and the legislature there."
"What we can see is the failure of policy there and the failure of leadership in California," piled on Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Fox. "We’re going to have to have real accountability. We need to have hearings to understand… to get to the bottom of what's taking place. What the failures have been."
California insurers nixed hundreds of thousands of policies for homeowners in areas prone to wildfires after state regulators banned higher premiums – despite the hazards. Some Republicans seized on this issue.
"California made some really bad policy decisions that caused those insurance companies to flee," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. "The people that made those policy decisions have to be held accountable, too."
Even some Democrats questioned the local response.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., worked on a bill to help guarantee water for all Californians when they turn on the spigot when he served in the state legislature.
"Why didn't they have water? Is it negligence or is it just the fact that so many fires were breaking out all over the city in so many different areas that the system was being pushed to capacity and got overwhelmed?" asked Gomez.
Other Democrats rebuked GOP criticism of California’s leaders.
"I think that's all just ridiculous," said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. "I think the governor is on the ground doing a great job managing the response. I don't think that we should be putting blame on anyone."
The cost of the fires likely means demands for another infusion of cash from Congress for FEMA – just as Republicans are starting to look to cut billions if not more than a trillion dollars. How can lawmakers pay for natural disasters – and yet slash all of this money?
"It's always going to be hard. I think we just got to prioritize. And, I think we need to couple any major spending with cuts on the other side," said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
"So to be clear, when that bill comes due for California, some conservatives want to see some offsets?" asked yours truly of Burchett.
"Absolutely," replied Burchett.
The wildfires would have been a major issue had Congress not forked over more than $100 billion just to FEMA and various disasters in the bill before Christmas. Yet some Republicans are skeptical of the competence of FEMA to do the job.
"I doubt the people of California will get their $700 that will be promised to them. Because as it happened in North Carolina, in Tennessee, a lot of people were turned down because all their identification was burnt up or was washed away. And there it'll be all burnt up. It'll just be a cluster," predicted Burchett.
Florida’s former statewide emergency management director posed an ominous warning.
"I’ve got bad news for everybody. Disasters are coming everywhere," observed Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., on MSNBC.
More disasters means additional demand for relief. That’s the challenge as Republicans try to cut spending.
A few wise souls on Capitol Hill have tinkered with developing a new model to address natural disasters. The current budget model is fund appropriations under the premise that NOTHING will happen. Then it’s sometimes a challenge for lawmakers to pass a bill providing additional aid.
So there were two monster hurricanes in the fall. Wildfires now. What’s next? An earthquake? Blizzards? Ice storms? Tornadoes? Drought? Floods?
There has been debate about creating a "rainy day fund" - perhaps a "monsoon day fund" - that Congress can tap to dispatch major chunks of money without hassle when natural disasters hit.
Other natural disasters are inevitable.
But Congressional funding to cover the cost is far from it.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse California for costs associated with hiring more firefighters and controlling the raging wildfires that have ripped through Southern California.
News of the Fire Management Assistance Grants trickled in Tuesday, and by the evening the White House put out a statement from President Biden confirming the move. FEMA confirmed the measures on Wednesday, in an announcement laying out some details about the grants.
The funding will provide federal reimbursements for up to 75% of "eligible firefighting costs" incurred by the state, as California seeks to shore up its firefighting force and put out the wildfires that have killed at least two people and driven thousands from their homes. Eligible costs include expenses for field camps, equipment, materials, supplies and mobilization or demobilization efforts attributed to fighting the fires.
"My Administration will do everything it can to support the response," Biden said Tuesday, announcing news of the grant. "I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire."
Firefighter shortages in California have been an ongoing problem for several years in California. In advance of the news about FEMA's grant, the Los Angeles Fire Department was compelled to request that all off-duty firefighters in the area volunteer to help. The U.S. Forest Service this summer boosted its staffing levels in California for the first time in five years, but the total number of federal wildland firefighters remains greatly diminished from what it used to be despite the state seeing an uptick in the number and severity of wildfires in recent years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meanwhile, in October, the U.S. Forest Service announced an end to prescribed burning to control wildfires as a result of staffing shortages.
California's decision to end prescribed burns came after Biden's opposition to a bipartisan bill aimed at streamlining the process for implementing forest management projects, like prescribed burns, in California. In a September statement explaining the opposition to the bill, the Biden administration said that certain provisions served to undermine crucial environmental protections.
FEMA's grants aimed at bolstering the state's firefighting force amid the raging wildfires were initiated following requests from California. FEMA indicated that at the time of the requests the wildfires had burned an excess of 700 acres of private and public lands around the Pacific Palisades, San Fernando Valley and Santa Calrita Valley areas.
FEMA added that more than 45,000 homes in the area were being threatened by the fire.
A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital that its regional office is in constant contact with local authorities in California, and that the agency has also deployed a FEMA liaison officer to the area to help monitor the evolving situation. The spokesperson added the agency is urging residents to listen to local officials and has provided a phone number for them to text if people are in need of safe shelter.
President Biden pledged $1 billion in humanitarian support to Africans displaced by historic droughts and food insecurity on Tuesday, as North Carolina residents continue to rebuild after the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
"The United States continues to be the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid and development assistance. That's going to increase, you know, that's the right thing for the wealthiest nation in the world to do," Biden said while speaking in Angola. "Today I'm announcing over $1 billion in new humanitarian support for Africans displaced from homes by historic droughts and food insecurity. We know African leaders and citizens are seeking more than just aid. You seek investment.
"So, the United States is expanding our relationship all across Africa from assistance to aid, investment to trade, moving from patrons to partners to help bridge the infrastructure gap," he added.
Biden’s visit to Angola this week marks the first time the president has stepped foot on African soil during his presidency, and it comes as people in North Carolina continue to face challenges after Hurricane Helene caused destruction and devastation in late September.
Last month, the White House requested $98 billion in additional disaster relief funding to help efforts in Helene-ravished areas.
Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have pledged to act swiftly once they get a formal request from the Biden administration.
On top of that, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters last month that her agency "will need additional funding of approximately $40 billion beyond its 2025 budget request to support the ongoing recovery efforts to these storms and meet our overall mission requirements through the end of the fiscal year."
Still, until these funds are in place, some continue to slam Biden’s legacy of putting foreign countries before his own, which was seen Tuesday as a video of Biden making the $1 billion announcement in Africa made the rounds on social media.
"BREAKING: Joe Biden just announced a $1B aid package for AFRICAN nations that are rebuilding from natural disasters. What about North Carolina? This is DISGUSTING," one user on X wrote.
"This is by far the WORST President of all time," another said on X.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., took aim at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), arguing that its recent response to multiple deadly storms shows the agency needs to be "completely revamped."
"The No. 1 thing that hurts FEMA’s reputation is the fact that so many citizens are denied when they apply the first time they come through the FEMA portal. And if they have to go through congressional offices to get help… if that is going to be the protocol for our citizens to get help, from the emergency management agency, then it needs to be completely revamped," Donalds said during a House Oversight Committee hearing on FEMA Tuesday.
Donalds' comments came during questioning of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who was peppered by Republican members of the Oversight Committee to provide answers on FEMA’s response to recent storms and accusations that the agency discriminated against supporters of President-elect Trump.
FEMA has been under fire over the agency’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which earlier this year made landfall in the southeastern U.S. and caused widespread destruction across multiple states.
While the agency’s overall performance during the response to the two storms has been the center of controversy, members of the Oversight Committee repeatedly asked Criswell to answer to potential "systemic bias" against Trump supporters in its response.
The questions come after now-fired FEMA employee Marn'i Washington told relief workers to skip houses that had signs supporting Trump during the agency’s cleanup and recovery effort after Hurricane Milton, an incident Criswell insisted was isolated in multiple responses during the hearing.
"There is nothing in any of our policies, our training, or our information sent out to field workers, to avoid any home for whatever reason, especially not because of a political affiliation," Criswell said in response to questioning from Donalds. "The actions of this one individual are not representative of the work that we do at FEMA."
But Donalds, whose district was hit hard by Milton, said he had "an issue" with the answer, pointing to a New York Post report that featured an anonymous FEMA employee who claimed that such discrimination on the basis of political affiliation is an "open secret" at FEMA.
Criswell argued that the incident in question was investigated by FEMA and that an investigation into if such issues are more widespread is still ongoing, prompting even more fierce pushback from Donalds.
"You told me at the beginning of this questioning that there is nothing in your policies that would dictate that this is to occur, yet you have one official who was fired, who said it does occur. You have another official under your purview… talking to the press, that it does occur, but you can’t verify to this committee that these practices do or do not occur," Donalds said.
FEMA did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell vowed to request an inspector general investigation into orders that FEMA employees avoid homes of Trump supporters during relief efforts for Hurricane Milton.
Criswell made the commitment during her testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday. Criswell has insisted that orders to avoid pro-Trump homes originated from a lone employee and were not part of a wider directive.
Subcommittee Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., asked Criswell whether FEMA's ongoing internal investigation included officials above Marn'i Washington, the employee confirmed to have issued the order.
"The investigation includes those that were deployed in this particular incident, and we have found no evidence that there is anything beyond this one employee's specific direction," Criswell said.
"And I would welcome an investigation by the IG," Criswell said.
"But you haven't requested – will you request one?" Perry asked.
"I will request one," Criswell confirmed.
Criswell's claims contradict Washington, who asserts that she is being scapegoated by the agency for a wider policy of avoiding pro-Trump homes in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Washington emphasized to Fox News that FEMA prioritizes "avoidance" and "de-escalation" in situations where some employees may feel unsafe, and that is not necessarily politically targeted at Trump supporters. This could include other situations, like urban areas where there are unleashed dogs, she said.
Washington told Fox News' Trace Gallagher that discriminating against people explicitly because of political leanings would violate the Hatch Act, but said "unfortunately, again, the passionate supporters for Trump, some of them were a little bit violent."
