President Donald Trump isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

On Sunday, the president signed an executive order that establishes the FEMA Review Council, a new body designed to address glaring inefficiencies and misplaced priorities within the agency.

Trump made it clear: FEMA needs to stop playing politics and start delivering for Americans in crisis.

As Fox News reported, the council, set to include no more than 20 members, will be co-chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.

Its mission? Conduct a sweeping review of FEMA’s disaster response efforts and recommend bold changes to fix what’s broken.

According to Trump, FEMA’s recent track record—particularly following Hurricane Helene—has been marred by bureaucratic red tape and a troubling lack of focus on its core mission.

The executive order doesn’t hold back, pointing out that FEMA has “obligated nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years,” yet somehow left countless Americans without the help they desperately needed.

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”

President Trump while at a press conference in North Carolina said he was looking at “getting rid of FEMA”

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA, I think, frankly, FEMA is not… pic.twitter.com/EgJrwlrlra

— Carolann (@Khaleesicorleo) January 27, 2025

Even more concerning, the order highlights claims of political bias within FEMA’s ranks, with allegations that managers directed responders to avoid assisting homes displaying support for Trump’s presidential campaign.

“Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters,” the order states.

Trump emphasized the need for FEMA to stop wasting resources on activities outside its mandate, calling attention to over a billion dollars spent supporting illegal immigrants instead of disaster victims.

He criticized the agency for diverting personnel and funding away from its primary goal: helping Americans recover from natural disasters.

Hurricane Helene is a glaring example of FEMA’s struggles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that only half of the debris recovery has been completed.

Image Credit: danielfela - Shutterstock.com

Meanwhile, thousands of families in North Carolina are still living in hotels under FEMA’s Transitional Housing Assistance program. This prolonged recovery process underscores the need for reform.

Trump’s directive tasks the new council with recommending structural changes to improve FEMA’s effectiveness. The president made it clear that the agency must be held accountable and that its operations need to align with the national interest.

The executive order represents a decisive step toward ensuring that FEMA prioritizes its mission and responds to disasters with the efficiency and impartiality Americans expect.

BREAKING: Trump orders a 180-day review of FEMA, set up by an executive order. The council will evaluate the agency and report its findings. This comes after Trump’s criticism of FEMA during his Los Angeles visit. #Trump #FEMA #ExecutiveOrder #EmergencyManagement… pic.twitter.com/nO8gq1UdRL

— Live Updates (@LiveupdatesUS) January 27, 2025

By cutting through bureaucratic clutter and addressing potential political bias, the Trump administration is determined to restore confidence in FEMA’s ability to serve the public when it matters most.

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