Updated January 24, 2025 at 19:36 PM ET
President Trump said on Friday that he plans to sign an executive order to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as he traveled to one state working to recover from catastrophic flooding, and another actively battling some of the worst wildfires in its history.
Touring parts of North Carolina hit hard by flooding after Hurricane Helene, Trump said he thinks the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is too bureaucratic and slow. He suggested that state governments handle disasters within their states.
Speaking with reporters, Trump said that a forthcoming executive action would "begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA." As president, Trump would not have authority to close the agency without approval from Congress.
Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, later told reporters traveling on Air Force One that the executive order would direct a FEMA advisory council to "look at the agency and root out the corruption, the incompetence and the bureaucracy," but would not abolish the agency.
Gov. Newsom met Trump when he arrived in LA
Trump made his comments before leaving North Carolina for California, where the Palisades, Eaton and Hughes fires have burned nearly 50,000 acres combined, destroying countless homes and businesses throughout greater Los Angeles.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom met Trump when Air Force One arrived in the city, and the two leaders spoke briefly before Trump took an aerial tour of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Trump was expected to later get a briefing on the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
Trump and Newsom are political foes, but pulled their punches during brief remarks to reporters. "I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me," Trump said, noting the impact of the fires on real estate. "It's like you got hit by a bomb, right?"
Newsom thanked Trump for visiting. "We're going to need your support. We're going to need your help," he said. "I have all the expectations that we'll be able to work together to get the speedy recovery."
During their remarks, Trump did not repeat the criticisms of California water management policies that he has been talking about since the disaster began. Newsom has said Trump's claims are false.
Trump has also indicated he sees aid for California as leverage for getting support from Democrats in Congress for some of his legislative priorities.
What Trump promised in North Carolina
Earlier, in Swannanoa, N.C., Trump invited families to talk about the flooding that ruined their homes and their struggles with recovery.
Helene left more than 100 people dead after slamming the western part of North Carolina in late September. The continues to face a mammoth rebuilding effort.
Trump visited the area during the height of the campaign, and was heavily critical of the federal response to the storm. At the same time, Trump came under criticism of his own for repeating misinformation about the recovery, including the false claim that the Biden administration had been diverting disaster money to care for people in the U.S. without legal status.
On Friday, Trump said his administration would surge "housing solutions" to North Carolina and said he would sign an executive order on Friday to lift regulations so that roads can be rebuilt without permits.
Trump has said he feels that North Carolina was treated "unfairly" by the Biden administration after Hurricane Helene, which hit in the middle of the presidential campaign. He has said, without evidence, that Democrats withheld aid from Republican areas.
His remarks echoed criticism that he delivered during his inauguration address earlier this week, when he said the federal government has failed to meet the moment in response to major disasters.
"Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense," Trump said.
The president's trips to California and North Carolina mark the first travel of his second term. He'll also be making a stop in Nevada this weekend, a state he won in November's election.
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