Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina in September 2024, said that he would like to see states assume more responsibility in the aftermath of natural disasters, rather than the federal government.

President Donald Trump suggested he might eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday during a trip to tour damage from Hurricane Helene flooding in North Carolina, a state he’s said “has been abandoned by the Democrats.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Friday to sign an executive order to overhaul or eliminate the main federal agency that responds to natural disasters, saying he preferred that states be given federal money to handle disasters themselves.

FLETCHER, N.C. — President Donald Trump said Friday that he was considering “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation's central organization for responding to disasters.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday floated shuttering the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster areas in North Carolina and California, where he pledged government support and sparred with Democratic officials.

President Donald Trump floated “getting rid” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Friday as he visited western North Carolina to survey the damage and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.