Trump admin to conduct 'full-scale review' of FEMA hurricane response, agency competence in new EO

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will establish a council in order to conduct a review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) failures during the disasters of Hurricane Milton and Helene that occurred in the fall and assess what should be done to change the agency.

The order says that Trump will call on "not more than 20" people for the council. Included in the members of the council are the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of Defense, which are Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth, respectively. Both have been confirmed for their roles in the Trump administration's Cabinet.

"The remaining members shall include relevant agency heads and distinguished individuals and representatives from sectors outside of the Federal Government appointed by the President," the order adds.

As Trump visited North Carolina last week, he floated the idea of completely shutting down FEMA but has stopped short of that with the order, saying that those within the council will be conducting a "full-scale review" of the agency. The council is tasked with recommending "to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience” regarding FEMA.

The council has been ordered by Trump to conduct the review and submit it to the White House within 180 days and will hold its first public meeting within 90 days. The council is terminated after one year.

In sum, the order said that the council will review FEMA’s “responses to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters demonstrate the need to drastically improve the” agency’s “efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA’s bureaucracy in disaster response ultimately harms the agency’s ability to successfully respond."

The order added that FEMA has left many Americans without resources or support. The order went on to say that "there are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA," adding, "Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President."