During his visit to disaster-hit areas in California and North Carolina, President Donald Trump had a heated exchange with Democratic Representative Brad Sherman, who tried to defend the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) the President has vowed to abolish.
Brad Sherman, praised FEMA for its large-scale deployment of personnel in response to the California wildfires, which have caused significant destruction in the state.
“FEMA is doing a good job here. When you have a disaster (like the California wildfires) of this size, you need to deploy thousands of people, which they have been able to do,” said Sherman.
However, Trump was quick to challenge Sherman’s position, questioning the effectiveness of FEMA in handling the crisis. “How many million people do you have in California? Forty million people. You’re not going to get a few thousand?” Trump asked, dismissing the idea that the deployment of personnel was a major issue.
He continued his critique, saying, “The problem with FEMA is they come from all over the country, and they end up in arguments with people of California because they want to do it a different way.”
Trump’s frustration went further as he argued that FEMA was “incompetently run” and “costs about three times more than it should.” He suggested that instead of funding the bureaucracy, the government could spend the money on schools, and he slammed the agency’s slow pace. “FEMA is so slow, they want permit after permit,” he added, as the panel in the room responded with applause.
Trump’s comments reflect his ongoing critique of federal agencies, particularly those he sees as inefficient and wasteful. As part of his second-term agenda, Trump has expressed interest in potentially dismantling FEMA, suggesting that funds could be sent directly to states instead of going through the agency.
While visiting the devastated areas of California, Trump was also seen alongside Governor Gavin Newsom, with whom he has had a tense relationship. Despite their political differences, Newsom thanked Trump for his earlier support during the Covid-19 pandemic, and both leaders agreed on the need for swift recovery.
