Updated January 24, 2025 at 13:05 PM ET
President Trump said on Friday that he plans to sign an executive order to "begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA."
Touring parts of North Carolina hit hard by flooding after Hurricane Helene, Trump said he thinks the Federal Emergency Management Agency is too bureaucratic and slow. He suggested that state governments handle disasters within their states.
Precise details about the executive order were not immediately available, and Trump sidestepped questions from reporters about a timeline for his plans.
In Swannanoa, N.C., Trump invited families to talk about the flooding that ruined their homes and their struggles with recovery.
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.
Later on Friday, he will tour the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and get a briefing on the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
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.
He has also indicated he sees aid for California as leverage for getting support from Democrats in Congress for some of his legislative priorities.
This is a continuing story that may be updated.
Copyright 2025 NPR
