President Donald Trump again threatened to dismantle FEMA as he traveled to Western North Carolina on Friday to survey damage from Hurricane Helene.
“FEMA has really failed us, failed the country. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault that is,” Trump told reporters after landing in Asheville. “We're going to take over, we're going to do a good job.”
Trump already suggested he might kill FEMA — the Federal Emergency Management Agency — during his sit-down Wednesday with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity.
“All it does is complicate everything,” he complained. “FEMA has not done its job for the last four years.”
“Unless you have a certain kind of leadership, that gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a really big discussion soon because I'd rather see the states solve their own problems,” Trump said.
He spoke highly of Oklahoma's “highly competent” disaster response — and how the state voted for him in the last election.
Trump reiterated that point locally on Friday.
“We're looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” Trump said. “Honestly, I like the idea that when North Carolina gets hit, the governor takes care of it. If Florida is affected, the governor will take care of the matter. That means the state will take care of it…I would like to see the states handle disasters.”
President Donald Trump (left) again threatened to dismantle FEMA as he traveled to Western North Carolina on Friday to survey damage from Hurricane Helen. He spoke to reporters next to first lady Melania Trump (center) on the tarmac in Asheville
Swannanoa, North Carolina, resident Lucy Bickers, who received assistance from FEMA after Hurricane Helene damaged her property, holds a sign in support of the government's disaster relief agency. Trump threatens to dismantle FEMA, even though Congress needs it
He said he would have Congress provide direct relief to North Carolina instead of funneling the dollars through FEMA.
“I will also sign an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or perhaps abolishing FEMA,” he said moments later during a Hurricane Helene briefing.
FEMA was created by an act of Congress—and so Congress should decide to dismantle the agency or radically change its structure.
In addition, the federal government is required to spend money when Congress appropriates money to FEMA.
Trump also said he would take the extraordinary step of putting Michael Whatley, the newly re-elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, in charge of disaster relief in North Carolina.
Whatley heralds an announcement from the state.
At the same time, Trump demanded that California pass a voter ID law — which Democrats have historically opposed — to provide more disaster funding after the disastrous LA fires.
Trump had been asked whether he would seek to withhold disaster relief funding from Los Angeles because of its sanctuary status.
President Donald Trump (center) attends a Hurricane Helene recovery briefing with first lady Melania Trump (right) on Friday in Asheville, North Carolina
“I want to see two things in Los Angeles: voter identification so that people have the opportunity to vote, and I want the water to be released and flowing into Los Angeles and throughout the state. Those are the two things,” he said.
“After that, I'll be the greatest president California has ever seen,” he boasted.
Trump reiterated that point moments later.
“I want a voter ID card for the people of California, and they all want it now. You don't have, you don't have voter ID. People want to have voter identification. You want to have proof of citizenship,” Trump said. 'Ideally you have one day of voting rights. But I just want a voter's card as a start.'
