The new head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns his staff that they will not tolerate resistance to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Friday was the first day of David Richardson’s leadership at FEMA after the agency took the helm earlier this week. However, he began his tenure as head after a harsh warning to the agency.
“Me and I will be alone at FEMA and talk about FEMA. I am here to carry out the President’s intentions against FEMA,” he reportedly reported.
He predicted that 20% of his staff would oppose Trump’s vision for FEMA, which he had promised to dismantle.
“Obfuscation, delay, weakening. If you’re one of these 20% of people and you think those tactics and techniques will help you, I run over you, so they won’t,” Richardson said.
“Don’t get in my way,” he added. “I know all the tricks.”
FEMA is the agency responsible for coordinating and implementing federal responses to natural disasters and other emergencies, ranging from hurricanes and floods to domestic attacks.
However, it has been heavily criticized for its response times, inadequate resources and delayed disruption, especially amid major disasters like Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Trump responded to such criticism by pledging to completely abolish FEMA and redistribute its functions to individual states.
“If there is a problem in a state, I think that the problem should be taken care of by the state,” Trump said in January. “That’s what we have a nation. They care about the matter. And the governor can handle something very quickly, do you know?”
During the 2024 reelection campaign, he also spread falsehoods about the agency, including his refusal to provide relief to Republicans in North Carolina who were suffering from widespread flooding from Hurricane Helen.
Since taking office in January, Trump has reduced funds and staff to independent entities such as the US International Development Agency (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPB), following plans to restructure the federal government.
Trump and his allies have framed cuts as needed to combat “fraud” and “waste” across the government, but he has not provided conclusive evidence of fraud.
FEMA has terminated or accepted an acquisition offer to resign an estimated 2,000 employees. A 2023 government accountability report showed FEMA had only 5,000 full-time staff members and a group of reserves and emergency response workers who could be called to deal with the crisis.
To become a FEMA administrator, you will need to receive a Senate confirmation hearing and vote.
However, these Senate hearings continue on high-level government positions, while Trump has appointed interim leaders to govern the organization during that time.
Former Navy Seal Cameron Hamilton has been in that role since Trump began his second term.
He was a prominent critic of FEMA during the administration of former President Joe Biden. However, his time as FEMA chief stopped suddenly earlier this week after appearing before the House of Representatives’ subcommittee on appropriations.
At a hearing Wednesday, Connecticut Democratic leader Rosa Delauro asked Hamilton about her idea that FEMA could be closed.
Hamilton responded with measured opposition. “I don’t think it’s Americans’ greatest interest to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” he said.
He added that it was not his decision to ultimately create and criticize FEMA as part of “over-expanded federal bureaucracy.”
“I am not in a position to make decisions about whether or not a decision would have been made that should have been made and to influence the outcome. That is the conversation that should have been held between the President of the United States and this governing body,” Hamilton told the committee.
However, the next day, Hamilton was removed from his role as interim head of FEMA and replaced by Marine Corps veteran Richardson.
On Friday, White House press chief Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Hamilton’s removal was linked to his testimony at the subcommittee hearing.
“My understanding is that this individual testified by saying something that the President believes and against this administration’s goals regarding FEMA policy,” Leavitt said. “And of course we want to make sure that people from all positions are moving forward with the government’s goals.”
Critics, including Delauro, denounced the switch as indicating the White House that did not tolerate dissent, when necessary.
“The Trump administration must explain why (Hamilton) was removed from this position,” Delauro said in a statement. “Integrity and morality should not sacrifice your work.”
Meanwhile, Richardson proceeded to set a more harsh tone for his tenure on his flare-up Friday call. He warned FEMA staff that actions that were not “in our mission” would be considered a waste of taxpayer funds.
“We find ways to make things better. We find ways to push things down to the states that should be done at the state level, and we also find ways to share more costs in the state,” he said.
Trump has been criticized by Republican-led states like Arkansas, which suffered a tornado in the week of March 14 for denying requests for assistance, including destroying neighborhoods. Multiple deaths were reported.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who worked as Trump’s spokesman for his first term — wrote to the president to appeal his denial of his aid.
“Since 2023, Arkansas has experienced an unprecedented frequency of disasters with four federal declarations and 10 national declaration disasters. These overlapping events have seriously strained and effectively responded and restored the capabilities of state and local agencies.
“Many alkansans still live in temporary conditions or damage repairs from previous events and are only once again evacuated or affected. The state and its citizens are in desperate need of assistance in recovering, restructuring and mitigating further losses.”