An aerial view of destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was "not on the ball" in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane.
"So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with]," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response."
So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance program.
TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO 'BLAME' FOR 'APOCALYPTIC' WILDFIRES
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews on Jan. 24, 2025. (Leah Millis/Reuters)
Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "Democrats don’t care about North Carolina" and that was why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term.
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Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month.
"It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it," Trump said. "But it is a bad, bad situation."
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fema-not-good-trump-announces-agency-overhaul-during-visit-north-carolina