WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is preparing to reshape the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been on the frontlines of responding to recent wildfires in California and last year's hurricane in North Carolina.
He spoke at length about the issue with congressional Republican leaders on Tuesday, discussing whether the agency known as FEMA should continue providing assistance to states in the same way, according to a person familiar with the conversation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Conservatives have previously suggested reducing the amount that states are reimbursed for preventing and responding to disasters like floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and more.
Trump was critical of the agency this week in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, saying ''FEMA has not done their job for the last four years" and ''FEMA is getting in the way of everything.''
The Republican president plans to visit North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September, and California, which is reeling from some of the most destructive fires in its history, on Friday for his first trip since taking office on Monday.
North Carolina has been a focal point for Republican criticism of FEMA, some of it rooted in misinformation. For example, conservatives claimed on social media that hurricane victims were only receiving $750 in relief even if they suffered devastating losses, but the payments were only meant to be a stopgap for emergency expenses until additional assistance could be distributed.
Rising hostility led to concerns that FEMA workers could be targeted by militia members.
Trump also suggested that he would withhold assistance from California during the interview with Hannity.