After Decades of Failure, the Trump Administration is getting FEMA Back on Track

Under President Trump, FEMA is 100% faster in getting boots-on-the-ground to respond to disasters

In just 200 days, President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have successfully reformed federal disaster response after decades of failure and neglect.

For too long, disaster response has been bogged down by red tape, inefficiency, and a one-size-fits-all approach that left too many Americans waiting for help that came too late. Below are just some examples of how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been realigned with its core mission:

FEMA had Been Failing the American People Since Hurricane Katrina.

• Friday, August 29, marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina – a category three storm – made landfall along the Louisiana gulf coast, displacing families to all 50 states and resulting in billions in losses to infrastructure and the economy.
• The hurricane killed over 1,800 Americans and did untold billions in property damage.
• FEMA’s response was slow, ineffective, and bureaucratic.
• Over 20 years later, FEMA is STILL processing claims that were made during and immediately following the storm. President Trump is fixing that.

Under the Biden Administration, Disaster Relief was Politicized.

• In 2024, Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina and other rural communities across the Southeastern United States.
• It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina, but the Biden administration’s response was an utter failure.
• In the years leading up to the storm, the Biden administration had been using FEMA like a politicized piggy bank. It looted billions from FEMA and spent it on resettling illegal aliens throughout the U.S.
• Illegal aliens were put up in luxury New York City hotels, like the Roosevelt Hotel, which sheltered Laken Riley’s killer.
• Shortly after the storm hit, then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that FEMA was running out of funds to help Americans suffering from Helene.
• Disaster relief under the Biden administration was also heavily politicized. Whistleblowers revealed that FEMA disaster relief teams were directed to avoid homes of hurricane victims with Donald Trump campaign signs.
• FEMA employees also freely admitted to the media that they used the Biden administration’s DEI priorities as cover to deny relief to rural communities that were more likely to support President Trump. 

Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, FEMA is Getting Back on Mission.

• FEMA is being radically reformed into a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers states and local communities to provide relief to their citizens.
• Under the Trump administration, FEMA is getting funding to communities for disaster relief twice as fast.
  • In other words, FEMA is now 126% faster than it was under the Biden administration.
• FEMA under the Trump administration is also over 40% faster in getting funding directly into the hands of disaster survivors.
  • While it used to take 17 days on average to supply that funding, now it takes only 12 days on average, often sooner.
• Finally, the Trump administration has cut the time it takes to get FEMA responders on the ground within hours.
  • On average, it took two full days to get FEMA employees to where they need to go. When lives are at stake, every second counts, and this lag time was unacceptable.
  • The Trump administration is now getting FEMA personnel on the ground within a single day.
  • In other words, FEMA’s response time is now 100% faster than under the Biden administration.
• When disastrous flooding struck in Texas on the Fourth of July, DHS launched what Texas Governor Greg Abbott called “the fastest and most coordinated federal-state response” Texas has ever seen.
  • Within hours, Texas Task Force 1 – a FEMA-equipped team – was activated by the state and immediately on the ground saving lives.
  • That same day, DHS surged search and rescue assets to the area, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) and FEMA personnel. Within days, FEMA had over 200 staffers on the ground providing support and shelter.
  • President Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration hours after Governor Greg Abbott’s request.
  • Combined state and federal rescue efforts in Texas evacuated and rescued over 1,500 people. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Petty Officer, Scott Ruskan, alone saved nearly 200 lives.  
• When asked about the DHS and FEMA response, Chief of Texas Division of Emergency Management Nim Kidd said, “I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and I can say with confidence that this was the fastest and most effective federal support Texas has ever received. Thanks to Secretary Noem’s leadership, Texas Task Force 1 was fully equipped and trained to respond immediately under my direction on July 4, and every additional Urban Search and Rescue team we requested was deployed without delay. That kind of partnership - moving the right resources at the right time - saved lives and made all the difference in our response.”
• Secretary Noem also rushed support to North Carolina and other states impacted by Hurricane Helene. Since January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has obligated nearly $3 billion to victims of and communities recovering from that terrible disaster.
  • This includes $350 million in Public Assistance reimbursements approved to support the recovery efforts in North Carolina.
  • In addition, the Trump administration obligated about $2.6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to clear debris following Hurricane Helene.
    • President Trump also signed an Executive Order dramatically speeding up debris removal for North Carolina and elsewhere. This order promoted to USACE and FEMA to rush more resources to the ground, resulting in significant debris cleanup progress and positive response from state and local officials.
• DHS also accelerated debris removal efforts in California. Most properties have now been cleared of debris. Nearly 92% of debris removal is fully complete, while 98% of properties have been cleared.
• Rapid, upfront funding was provided in New Mexico following recent flooding — a shift away from slow models that left families waiting for years in the past.
• Overall, Secretary Noem has personally ensured that more than $1.7 billion in Individual Assistance and $14.1 billion in Public Assistance has been approved for disaster recovery nationwide, supporting rent, home repairs, and critical infrastructure rebuilding.
• At Secretary Noem’s direction, FEMA has conducted a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer.

The Work Continues.

• FEMA reform is still active and ongoing. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, the FEMA Review Council is hard at work to address more than 5 decades of FEMA’s failures and deliver results to the American people.