In his first Oval Office meeting since returning to energy, US President Donald Trump suggested ending national disaster relief and leaving claims to handle situations on their own. Trump falsely accused the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) of failing to support victims, despite the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles and the eastern United States still recovering from two devastating hurricanes.
“FEMA has certainly done their job for the last four decades. You know, I had FEMA working truly also. We had hurricane in Florida, we had Alabama tornados,” Trump told Fox News. ” But unless you have specific kinds of leadership, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole great conversation very quickly, because I’d rather observe the says take care of their own problems. “
Trump’s comment came amidst a fresh wildfire pandemic north of Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands to leave their homes in an area already affected by two dangerous fire. The senator and Republicans in Congress have suggested that help to California may be contingent on the behavior of the country’s Democratic leaders, a position not taken when storms caused destructive flooding and claimed over 100 lives in the US south.
The meeting, conducted by Fox News star and loyal supporter Sean Hannity, showcased Trump’s special style of engaging with the media, setting him apart from previous presidents, especially Joe Biden, who often participated in extensive conversations with journalists. Trump discussed his executive orders, plans for the first 100 days, and defended his controversial pardons for hundreds of violent criminals who stormed the Capitol in 2021.
Despite the president’s accessibility, TV viewing figures for his second inauguration were significantly lower than in previous years, with a peak of 34. 4 million viewers, a drop of four million from his first inaugural speech. The interview also touched on security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app TikTok and the possibility of cutting federal funds to” sanctuary cities” that protect undocumented migrants from federal detention requests.
