“FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said in North Carolina on Friday while on a multistate tour to areas still recovering from the effects of last year’s Hurricane Helene and the ongoing wildfires near Los Angeles. “I think we recommend that FEMA go away.”

Andy Beshear called the elimination of FEMA a "very bad idea." Sen. Bill Cassidy (R–La.) stopped short of condemning Trump's comments, saying some federal disaster agency is needed, even if that agency isn't FEMA.

The president said he's considering letting Washington directly reimburse states for disaster-relief efforts, but states might not be equipped for rapid response.

Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton amplified false charges that FEMA spent disaster aid on migrants and blocked help to North Carolina.