US President Donald Trump visited disaster areas in California and North Carolina on Friday, as he threatened to "get rid" of the federal agency that helps with disaster relief.
The Republican President has criticised former president Joe Biden for his administration's response to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, which killed more than a hundred people when it passed through the southern state in September. As he left the White House, he told reporters that "We're going to get it fixed up."
"North Carolina has been treated very badly, so we’re stopping there," he said as he boarded Marine One.
Mr Trump has also showered California leaders with disdain for water policies that, he claims, have worsened the recent blazes that have destroyed parts of Los Angeles. He said he would “take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn’t let the water flow".
"It's like a nuclear weapon went off in Los Angeles, and that thing went for four or five days and no one was even fighting it because they didn't have any water," Mr Trump said during an interview with Fox News. "What happened to that state is incredible."
Mr Trump was expected to tour Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where rows of homes burnt to the ground. Fires in the area are still burning, with thousands of people under evacuation orders.
In North Carolina, Mr Trump received a briefing on recovery efforts.
During his visit, he suggested that he would sign an executive order on "reforming and overhauling" the Federal Emergency Management Agency or "maybe getting rid of them".
“Fema has been a very big disappointment," he said. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.”
Mr Trump cannot "get rid of" Fema by executive order as it is only an action that can be done with congressional approval — and the agency is supported by both political parties.
In his interview with Fox, Mr Trump suggested the federal government should not give assistance when a disaster hits, instead handing management over to individual states. The President said this would be quicker and cheaper than sending in Fema.
“Fema just hasn’t done the job," he said in North Carolina. "We’re looking at the whole concept of Fema.”
Contrary to Mr Trump's comments, the agency is not a first responder as it helps in disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state's ability to handle on its own. Fema can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, send support staff, and give stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.
