President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to address allegations of political bias and mismanagement within FEMA, launching an investigation into the agency through a sweeping executive order issued Friday.
The order was prompted by revelations that FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington instructed relief workers to skip homes displaying Trump signs in Lake Placid, Florida, following Hurricane Milton. The scandal, first uncovered by The Daily Wire, has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny of the agency’s practices.
The executive order lays bare what Trump has described as "serious concerns of political bias in FEMA," citing whistleblower accounts that at least 20 hurricane-impacted homes were deliberately bypassed because they showed support for Trump. According to reports, Washington gave these instructions both verbally and via a group chat.
While Washington was ultimately fired by then-FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, she has claimed her actions were backed by agency policy, alleging that directives existed to avoid “politically hostile” homes. These claims are now the subject of ongoing investigations by Congress and the Department of Homeland Security.
In his order, Trump was unflinching in his criticism of FEMA, accusing the agency of losing its focus and betraying its mission. He pointed to what he called FEMA's diversion of resources toward unrelated priorities, including spending over $1 billion to assist illegal immigrants, as evidence of systemic mismanagement.
This incident, Trump argued, puts a spotlight on the urgent need for reform. “Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters,” the order reads. “FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review... to promote the national interest and enable national resilience.”
To spearhead this reform effort, Trump has created a 20-member council tasked with conducting a top-to-bottom evaluation of FEMA’s operations. Chaired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the council will examine the agency’s capacity to provide unbiased disaster relief, assess its operational effectiveness, and propose structural improvements.
The findings will be compiled into a comprehensive report, informed by consultations with state and local stakeholders, to determine how disaster response can better serve the American people.
This is not the first time Trump has criticized FEMA for its performance. In recent months, he has accused the agency of neglecting conservative-leaning communities in favor of politically convenient initiatives. By launching this investigation, Trump is sending a clear message: disaster relief is a nonpartisan mission, and any evidence of bias or inefficiency will not be tolerated.