U.S. President Donald Trump suggested in a recent interview that he might end federal disaster aid, pushing states to handle emergencies on their own. This comes as wildfires ravage California and the East Coast recovers from hurricanes, highlighting tensions between federal and state roles in disaster management.
In his first interview since regaining the presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that states should be left to handle calamities on their own and that federal disaster funding should be discontinued.
Trump made baseless accusations that FEMA was abandoning victims as the eastern United States was still coping with the aftermath of two terrible storms and flames ravaged Los Angeles.
"FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida, we had Alabama tornados," Trump said in an interview with Fox News.
"But unless you have certain types of leadership, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I'd rather see the states take care of their own problems."
Tens of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes as a new wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles, setting nerves jangling in an area still suffering from two deadly blazes. Trump made his statements at the same time.
While Trump and congressional Republicans have stated that California's relief should be contingent on Democratic leaders' actions, they did not make this same request after the storms that killed over 100 people and caused devastating floods in the US southeast.
Trump stands apart from his predecessors, especially Joe Biden, who rarely consented to sit down for in-depth talks with journalists, thanks to his uninhibited press conferences and interviews.
After receiving accolades for his use of new media during his campaign, the Republican stuck with tradition for his pre-recorded primetime presentation, speaking with Sean Hannity, a Fox News star and ardent supporter.
Trump, whose administration includes over a dozen former Fox News staffers, addressed his intentions for the first 100 days and the deluge of executive orders for the third day in a row during his direct address to the press.
Although the press gives the Republican president points for being approachable, it's unclear that the American people are paying attention to every word.
According to The New York Times (via The Raw Story), the top number of viewers for his second inauguration was 34.4 million, which is four million fewer than his first inaugural speech. This is a marked decrease compared to previous years' viewing rates.
Carrying an average of 2.8 million people, Hannity's show is the top-rated cable program for the 9:00 p.m. hour. Hannity is recognized as Trump's "unofficial chief of staff" and an unashamed representative of Republican talking points.
Trump reiterated his support for the blanket pardons he granted to hundreds of violent offenders who stormed the Capitol in 2021, downplayed worries about the safety of the Chinese-owned video app TikTok, and broached the subject of potentially robbing "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
