David Richardson, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), delivered a stern message to agency employees on his first full day on the job, asserting that resistance to the agenda of President Donald Trump would not be accepted.
In a call to staff members on Friday, Richardson asserted his power, stating, “I and I alone speak for FEMA.” He forecasted that approximately 20 percent of the agency’s staff would be against the president’s vision and made it known he would not be afraid to override dissent from within. “Don’t get in my way,” he told them.
Richardson’s appointment comes after interim FEMA head Cameron Hamilton was suddenly fired for challenging Trump’s proposals to dismantle FEMA in a congressional hearing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed Hamilton’s ouster over his remarks, saying, “We want people in every position advancing the administration’s goals.
President Trump, a critic of FEMA’s history, particularly how the agency had performed during calamities such as Hurricane Katrina, has long insisted that the agency be reduced and responsibility be transferred to individual states. His government has already substantially reduced FEMA’s staff, downgrading full-time personnel and reshaping emergency response jobs.
Critics maintain that these alterations threaten disaster preparedness. Trump ally Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently appealed the denial of an aid request after devastating tornadoes. She threatened a crisis in the face of concurrent disasters and the absence of federal assistance.
Richardson, a Marine veteran, said he would focus on cost-sharing with states and redefining FEMA’s mission. “We’re going to find out how to do things better,” he stated, signaling a major shift in federal emergency management under Trump’s second term.
The developments highlight growing concerns about political loyalty and operational effectiveness in federal emergency response as hurricane season approaches.
