US President Donald Trump on Friday surveyed disaster areas in California and North Carolina and said he was considering “getting rid” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offering the latest hint about how he plans to respond. Extensive changes are being made in the central organization of the country.
In firefighting California, the state’s Democratic leaders pressed Trump for federal aid that he has threatened to withhold, some setting aside their past differences to shower him with praise. Trump, in turn, pressured local officials to waive permitting requirements so people could rebuild quickly, pledging that federal permits would be granted immediately.
Instead of having federal financial aid flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington provides the money directly to states. Hey comments while visiting North Carolina, which is still recovering months after Hurricane Helene, on his first visit to his second term.
“There is a huge disappointment in FEMA,” the Republican president said. ,
Trump was greeted in California by Governor Gavin Newsom, a Trump critic whom the president frequently dislikes. The pair hit it off and hinted at a collaboration despite their history.
“We need your support. We need your help,” Newsom told Trump. “You were there for us during Covid. I don’t forget this, and I have all the expenses that we will be able to cover by working together.
Newsom praised Trump for seeking help from the federal government. In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, he called Trump “thoughtful” and “ally.”
Trump flew over several blighted neighborhoods in Marine One, the presidential helicopter, before landing in Pacific Palisades, a hard-hit community that was home to some of Southern California’s rich and famous. Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, he walked down a street where all the houses burned, interacting with residents and policy officials.
It seizes the damage in advance to capture its enormity, Trump said. The fires, which continue to burn, may be the costliest natural disasters in American history.
“This is devastation. It’s really nerve-wracking,” Trump said.
Trump’s letter but friendly conversation with Newsom believes the confrontational stance he took earlier in the day tipped California. Even on the plane en route to Los Angeles, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt called the governor “newscom,” telling reporters, “He has done the people of his state an injustice” and Trump to pressure Newsom and The pressure was on Newsom to use Trump’s disagreeable nickname. Other officials “to do right by their citizens.”
Trump said Los Angeles residents who lost their homes should be able to return to their properties immediately to clean them up, with many telling him it would be months before they could rebuild.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said residents should be able to return home within weeks, but keeping people safe from hazardous materials is a top priority. He said the city was shortening the process to obtain permits, but he was repeatedly interrupted by Trump as he tried to explain the city’s efforts. Hey played down concerns about toxins, saying: “What is hazardous waste? We are going to define it.
Trump has a long history of downplaying the risks of asbestos. In his 1997 book, The Art of the Comeback, Trump called asbestos “the greatest fireproofing material ever made” and “100% safe, once applied,” and claimed that the movement against the insulator was driven by mob-related companies. Was led by. Asbestos removal.
Before flying to California, Trump said he wanted to extract concessions from the Democratic-led state in exchange for disaster aid, including changes to water policies and requirements that voters identify when they vote. Is required.
Beyond Trump’s criticism of FEMA, he has suggested limiting the federal government’s role in responding to disasters, echoing comments from conservative colleagues who have proposed reducing detection and responsibility.
“I’d like to see states take care of disasters,” he said in North Carolina. “Let the state take care of tornadoes and hurricanes and everything else.”
Trump said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and chairman of the Republican National Committee, would help coordinate recovery efforts in the state, where there has been frustration over the federal response. Although Whatley does not hold an official government position, Trump said he would be “very much in charge.”
FEMA helps respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, an indication that the damage is beyond the state’s ability to handle itself. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, and it gives stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.
Trump has criticized President Joe Biden for his administration’s response to Helen in North Carolina. As he left the White House on Friday morning, he told reporters that “It’s a herculean thing the way this has been allowed since the storm in September”, and “We’re going to be OK.
In a small town in western North Carolina, residents told Trump they feared for their lives as they waded through waist-deep water to escape their homes. Some have fought with insurance companies to cover their losses.
“We come to North Carolina with a simple message,” Trump said. ,
FEMA has distributed $319 million in financial assistance to residents, but this has not eased the feeling of abandonment among residents who are struggling to rebuild their lives.
Michael A. Coen Jr., who served as chief of staff at FEMA during the Biden administration, said Trump was “misinformed” about an agency that provides vital aid to states as they exceed devastation.
Additionally, Coen criticized the idea of attaching strings to the aid. “I think the American people expect the federal government to be there for them on their worst days, no matter where they live,” Hey said.
Trump tapped Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL with limited experience with managing natural disasters, as acting director of FEMA.