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The Trump administration is considering relocating the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s national headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Texas and naming the state’s top emergency management official to lead the agency, according to a Politico report.
A former FEMA official told the outlet that the potential move would pose “huge challenges” for the agency’s coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA and DHS currently operate out of the same city, but a relocation would place hundreds of miles between their headquarters.
The discussion comes as FEMA undergoes a leadership shakeup. Acting Administrator David Richardson resigned Monday after six months in the role. Chief of Staff Karen Evans is set to take over as acting administrator on Dec. 1.
Agency sources told Politico that the administration may again consider Texas Division of Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd for the top FEMA position. Kidd interviewed with White House officials in February 2025 and was previously viewed as a leading contender. “The admin wanted him, but he refused to leave Texas,” one FEMA source said.
Neither the White House nor Kidd responded to requests for comment. In February, Kidd revealed he had spoken with the Trump administration about the role.
“While there is some truth in the statement that I have had conversations with President Trump and his administration about the future of FEMA, I am committed to serving Texas first. I am committed to working together to create the very best possible version of FEMA to support the American people. However, my work in Texas is not done,” Kidd wrote in a post to LinkedIn at the time.
President Trump said in June that he planned to shift FEMA efforts to the states after the 2025 hurricane season.
“We’re moving it back to the states so the governors can handle it,” the president said. “If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be governor, but these governors can handle it, and they’ll work in conjunction with other governors.”
President Trump criticized the federal response under previous administrations, describing FEMA as ineffective.
“You saw what happened in North Carolina under the past administration, and when we got in, we did a great job for North Carolina, brought it back,” he added. “But it was a disaster, FEMA, and it has not worked out well.”