He tried to eliminate FEMA. Now he says the Trump administration has changed course
Despite initial rhetoric from the Trump administration regarding the elimination of FEMA, the agency remains operational. Former officials and current employees suggest that the agency has shifted into a survival mode, though understaffing and recovery delays persist.
Why it matters
The stability of federal disaster response is critical for national security and public safety, especially as the agency faces ongoing administrative pressure.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is no longer in the Trump administration's crosshairs, according to its former leader.
President Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the country's top disaster agency. In the first week of his second term, he attacked FEMA, saying, "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good," arguing that the agency should be eliminated . That rhetoric was echoed by top administration officials, including then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who controlled the agency's budget.
Other federal agencies have since been stripped down or even eliminated, including the Department of Education , Voice of America and USAID .
But despite his own significant efforts to dismantle FEMA, the man who ran the agency at the time says FEMA isn't going anywhere.
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