Trump announces FEMA overhaul during visit to Helene-stricken North Carolina

President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency as North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene – more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. 

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina Friday morning. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”

Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to “do a good job” for the state. 

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”

Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. 

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Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was “not on the ball” in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane. 

“So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with],” Trump said. “I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response.”

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of debris recovery for Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program. 

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While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension. 

“It’s been a horrible thing the way that’s been allowed to fester and we’re going to get it fixed up,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. “It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina’s been treated very badly so we’re stopping there.” 

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Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “Democrats don’t care about North Carolina” and that’s why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term. 

Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month. 

“It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it,” Trump said. “But it is a bad, bad situation.” 

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.