SWANNANOA, N.C. — President Trump said he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster zones Friday, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation’s central organization for responding to disasters.
Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states. He made the comments while visiting North Carolina, which is still recovering months after Hurricane Helene, on the first trip of his second term.
“FEMA has been a very big disappointment,” the Republican president said. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.”
Trump said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and chair of the Republican National Committee, would help coordinate recovery efforts in the state, where frustrations over the federal response have lingered. Although Whatley does not hold an official government position, Trump said he would be “very much in charge.”
While the president emphasized his desire to help North Carolina, a battleground state that’s voted for him in all of his presidential campaigns, he was much less generous toward California, where he would visit wildfire-ravaged areas later in the day.
Trump reiterated that he wants to extract concessions from the Democratic-led state in return for disaster assistance, including changes to water policies and requirements that voters need to show identification when casting ballots.
Beyond Trump’s criticism of FEMA, he’s suggested limiting the federal government’s role in responding to disasters, echoing comments from conservative allies who have proposed reducing funding and responsibility.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” he said after landing in the Asheville area. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”
Trump, who was accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, said that would be quicker and cheaper than sending in FEMA.
“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he said.
The agency helps respond to disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state’s ability to handle on its own. FEMA can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, and it gives stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.
After a briefing on recovery efforts in North Carolina, Trump traveled to a small town outside Asheville to meet with residents who have been helped by Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian organization headed by evangelical leader Franklin Graham. The residents told him about wading through waist-deep water to escape from their homes while fearing for their lives. Some have battled with insurance companies to get their losses covered.
FEMA has distributed $319 million in financial assistance to residents, but that hasn’t alleviated the frustration among residents struggling to rebuild their lives.
Laurie Carpenter, a 62-year-old retiree in Newland, N.C., said there’s still debris and trash strewn around her part of the state. She was looking forward to Trump’s visit because she’s been disappointed by the federal response.
“If anybody’s going to do something about it, I think he will,” Carpenter said.
Sarah Wells Rolland, whose Asheville pottery studio was destroyed by flooding, is less enthusiastic. Her town leans Democratic, and she’s worried that Trump won’t prioritize its rebuilding.
“I’m not overly optimistic that the Trump administration is going to do anything long term,” she said.
Michael Coen, who served as chief of staff at FEMA during the Biden administration, said Trump was “misinformed” about an agency that provides critical help to states when they are overwhelmed by catastrophe.
In addition, Coen criticized the idea of attaching strings to assistance.
“You’re going to pick winners and losers on which communities are going to be supported by the federal government,” he said. “I think the American people expect the federal government will be there for them on their worst day, no matter where they live.”
The last time Trump was president, he visited numerous disaster zones, including the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes. He sometimes sparked criticism, like when he tossed paper towels to survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Trump tapped Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL with limited experience managing natural disasters, as FEMA’s acting director.
Weissert, Megerian and Seminera write for the Associated Press. AP writers Stephen Groves and Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.