Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump wasted no time in fulfilling his promise to visit the disaster area in North Carolina on Friday.
The president also said he was considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency after severe criticism over its ineffective response to the hurricane disaster in the area. Trump hammered former President Joe Biden and his administration over FEMA’s incompetence during the 2024 presidential election.
‘It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow.’
Trump spoke to reporters after landing near Asheville to tour the damage from Hurricane Helene. He characterized FEMA as “a very big disappointment” and said he was considering replacing it with efforts that are more state-based.
“FEMA just hasn’t done the job. We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” he explained.
“It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them,” he added. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”
Trump will receive a briefing about recovery efforts in Fletcher before meeting with affected families in Swannanoa.
Witnesses on the ground like Matt Van Swol have documented the devastation and neglect since the hurricanes struck.
Residents have publicly criticized the response as well as the lack of coverage from the mainstream media.
“We’ve seen people living in condemned trailers where they have raw sewage under their trailers,” said Ian Monley with Valley Strong Disaster Relief. “We’ve seen people living in tents. We’ve seen people living in cars. Normally, you see FEMA trailers rolling in and things to get people housing. And we haven’t seen any of that.”
Van Swol says he supports Trump getting rid of FEMA.
North Carolina’s newly elected Democratic Governor Josh Stein praised the president for the trip.
“I think that’s very good news for the people of Western North Carolina that this issue is front of mind of the new administration,” he said.
On his way to North Carolina, Trump made a promise to North Carolinians while speaking to reporters.
“We’re going to get it fixed up. It should have been done months ago,” he said.
Hurricane Helene took the lives of over 100 Americans and has damaged over 73,000 homes in North Carolina and the greater region. One estimate found that the cost of the hurricane will top $59.6 billion.
After his trip to North Carolina, the president is scheduled to visit another disaster area in fire-ravaged southern California.
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