Donald Trump voiced his grievances about FEMA after returning to the White House for his second term. The Republican signed a series of executive orders, one of which proposed to “begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA.” In addition to this, Trump also moved to terminate DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) federal offices and programs early in his presidency. A significant question now arises: How many FEMA employees could be affected by such changes or the potential removal of the agency?
“I think, frankly, FEMA is not good,” Trump said in January 2025 in Fletcher, North Carolina. “FEMA has really let us down, let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s [Joe] Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over it. We’re going to do a good job.”
With the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a nongovernmental entity, the Trump administration has been executing large-scale reductions in the federal workforce. Additionally, on March 24, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced plans to “eliminate” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during a televised Cabinet meeting.
Learn more about FEMA, its employees, and its purpose below.
President Trump in North Carolina: “FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over an we’re going to do a good job.” pic.twitter.com/pNpY8NyOyL
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 24, 2025
What Does FEMA Stand for?
FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency.
What Does FEMA Do?
The agency was designed to help the United States prepare for and recover from various natural disasters. FEMA works with local governments to help those who were impacted by a disaster, such as losing a home in a wildfire or a hurricane.
FEMA only steps into a local situation when a state makes a formal request to the government for federal aid or when the natural disaster overwhelms local officials’ abilities. The president must then sign a declaration affirming that the area would receive assistance.
How Many Employees Work for FEMA?
According to FEMA’s official website, the agency employs more than 20,000 staffers around the U.S.
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