United States President Donald Trump has attacked the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, threatening to dismantle the organisation altogether.In a visit to hurricane-ravaged North Carolina on Friday, Trump announced he would sign an executive order “to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA”.
In place of the agency, the Republican suggested shifting the burden of disaster management to states.
“ When there’s a problem with the state, I think that that problem should be taken care of by the state,” Trump said during Friday’s news conference.
“That’s what we have states for. They take care of problems. And a governor can handle something very quickly, you know?”
Trump was hazy about the timeline for his proposed changes to FEMA, despite repeated questions from reporters.
But Friday’s remarks continue a track record of attacks on the agency, as well as his predecessor, former Democratic President Joe Biden, in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Advertisement
On September 26, the powerful Category-4 storm struck the Big Bend region of Florida. But even after it made landfall, it continued to plough north, wreaking destruction on parts of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
A total of more than 200 people were killed, as the hurricane brought record rainfall, flooding and tornadoes, leaving places like Asheville, North Carolina, flattened.
North Carolina was one o …
