November 9, 2024
In the aftermath of Florida’s devastating hurricane season, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been removed from their position following a directive that urged disaster relief teams to skip homes visibly supporting President-elect Donald Trump. FEMA confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital, expressing that it is “deeply disturbed” by the official’s actions and clarified that the individual received “no direction” to make such a call.
“This isolated incident does not reflect FEMA’s values or mission,” a FEMA spokesperson said. “We have removed the employee from their role and are investigating to ensure this never happens again” (Fox News, 2024).
The controversy arose after The Daily Wire obtained internal FEMA messages revealing that a FEMA official had told teams to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The guidance reportedly led to some relief teams marking residences as “no contact” due to “Trump sign, no contact per leadership” notes in their reports (The Daily Wire, 2024).
The fallout from the incident has sparked a wave of concern among Floridians and political leaders, particularly from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who swiftly called for a state investigation. “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” DeSantis announced on X. “At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump” (X, 2024).
FEMA’s response efforts have been under heightened scrutiny. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the agency reported aiding over 365,000 households and distributing $898 million in direct assistance. Despite these numbers, the recent incident has raised questions over FEMA’s impartiality and adherence to its mission. “Helping people is what we do best, and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes,” FEMA said in its response (Fox News, 2024).
The House Oversight Committee and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., have also criticized FEMA’s handling of the situation. “FEMA admits this happened but doesn’t say if the bureaucrat responsible has been fired,” the House Oversight Committee wrote on X, pointing out that “Democrats relentlessly defend the rules that insulate unelected bureaucrats from accountability and make it nearly impossible to fire bad employees” (X, 2024).
The controversy places FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in the spotlight as the agency works to restore public trust. Alongside President Biden, Criswell recently surveyed hurricane damage in the Carolinas but has yet to comment directly on the investigation. FEMA’s continued relief operations aim to assist those affected by the recent hurricanes, though the agency’s actions will now be watched closely by critics from both sides calling for transparency and political neutrality in disaster response.
Gov. DeSantis and the House Oversight Committee have vowed to monitor the investigation, emphasizing the need for accountability and equitable treatment of all citizens in times of crisis. FEMA, meanwhile, has pledged to reach out to those potentially missed due to the guidance, assuring Floridians of its commitment to impartial service (Fox News, 2024; The Daily Wire, 2024).
Sources:
- Fox News Digital. (2024). FEMA spokesperson statement on disaster relief incident in Florida. Retrieved from [Fox News].
- The Daily Wire. (2024). Internal messages reveal directive to avoid Trump-supporting homes. Retrieved from [The Daily Wire].
- X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Statements from Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Oversight Committee on FEMA incident.
