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President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his administration is preparing to shift emergency management responsibilities from the federal government to the states, signaling what could be the beginning of the end for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In a White House briefing ahead of the peak of the 2025 hurricane and wildfire seasons, Trump reaffirmed his earlier stance that the federal government should “wean off of FEMA.”
“We’re moving it back to the states so the governors can handle it,” Trump 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.”
Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation last year, killing 107 people in North Carolina and 236 across seven states. Damages in North Carolina alone were estimated at $60 billion.
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,” Trump said. “But it was a disaster, FEMA, and it has not worked out well.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, echoed Trump’s criticism, saying the agency is bogged down by bureaucracy and inefficiencies.
“We all know from the past that FEMA has failed thousands, if not millions, of people, and President Trump does not want to see that continue into the future,” she said. “So, this agency fundamentally needs to go away as it exists.”
Noem also acknowledged that FEMA’s current efforts are appreciated in some emergencies, but emphasized that the administration’s goal is structural reform and decentralization.
FEMA was established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, and key federal emergency policies such as the Stafford Act remain in place. Dismantling the agency would require congressional action.
While Trump signed an executive order in January establishing an advisory council on FEMA, the group’s activity has been limited. A Homeland Security update in late April named Secretary Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as co-chairs, with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley serving as the council’s North Carolina representative.
