The media is laundering conspiracy theories launched by a political activist organization that cares more about its bottom line than helping Americans in need
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has issued the following statement in response to anonymous attacks in a letter from political activists at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) against the Trump Administration’s successful work to get federal disaster response back on mission after decades of failure.
“I am not surprised that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform; including many who worked under the Biden Administration to turn FEMA into the bureaucratic nightmare it is today,” said Secretary Noem. “Change is hard. It is especially hard for those invested in the status quo, who have forgotten that their duty is to the American people — not entrenched bureaucracy. I refuse to accept that FEMA red tape should stand between an American citizen suffering and the aid they desperately need. That’s why I am working so hard to eliminate FEMA as it exists today and streamline this bloated organization into a tool that actually benefits Americans in crisis.”
Below is a full breakdown of the false claims and lies made by the activists and repeated by the media:
CLAIM: DHS’ response to catastrophic flooding in Texas on the Fourth of July weekend was delayed by up to 72 hours.
REALITY: DHS personnel were on the ground within hours of the floods. U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR), and FEMA personnel responded within 24 hours of the start of the floods. Throughout the crisis, FEMA deployed nearly 600 personnel supporting disaster response and recovery efforts.
Here is a full timeline of the DHS response to flooding in Texas:
- Within hours of the floods hitting, Texas Task Force 1 – a FEMA-equipped team – was activated by the state and immediately on the ground saving lives.
- That same day, DHS surged search and rescue assets to the area, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) and FEMA personnel.
- President Trump then approved a Major Disaster Declaration hours after Governor Greg Abbott’s request.
- Within hours of that declaration, FEMA rushed assistance.
- The first FEMA personnel were on the ground within 5 hours of activation.
- By noon on July 6, a FEMA rapid response team was on the ground, coordinating rescue efforts between the state and federal government.
- Throughout the crisis, five federal Urban Search and Rescue task forces were conducting operations on the ground immediately after Texas requested their assistance.
- These search and rescue task forces included firefighters, paramedics, engineers, search dogs, special vehicles and equipment, and other assets.
- Combined state and federal rescue efforts in Texas evacuated and rescued over 1,500 people. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Petty Officer Scott Ruskan alone saved nearly 200 lives.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the DHS response “the fastest and most coordinated federal-state response” Texas has ever seen.
- Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management Nim Kidd said “I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and I can say with confidence that this was the fastest and most effective federal support Texas has ever received. Thanks to Secretary Noem’s leadership, Texas Task Force 1 was fully equipped and trained to respond immediately under my direction on July 4, and every additional Urban Search and Rescue team we requested was deployed without delay. That kind of partnership - moving the right resources at the right time - saved lives and made all the difference in our response.”
CLAIM: Secretary Noem personally reviewing agency grants has slowed down response times.
REALITY: Since President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, FEMA is 126% faster on average in getting federal grant funding to states and communities that request it. It is also over 40% faster on average in getting vital assistance directly into the hands of survivors, and 100% faster in getting responders on the ground to help affected communities
In addition, by personally reviewing every grant and mission assignment over $100,000, Secretary Noem is returning accountability to a federal government that has long needed it.
CLAIM: FEMA is unable to respond to disasters because some employees are being transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
REALITY: A select few Human Resources employees and personal security specialists from FEMA have been temporarily detailed to ICE for 90 days to assist with hiring and vetting 10,000 new ICE officers. This training opportunity will better enable FEMA personnel to support surge hiring at FEMA during a major disaster. No first responders or operational disaster personnel are involved. This temporary detail has not and will not disrupt FEMA’s core mission, and it can be recalled if the operational necessity arises.
In addition, four probationary employees on administrative leave were reassigned to other DHS components, including ICE.
CLAIM: FEMA is cutting life-saving mitigation and risk reduction programs.
REALITY: No funding that helps mitigate against natural disasters or helps Americans rebuild from disasters has been cut. DHS is conducting a comprehensive review of ALL its grant programs to ensure that they are actually fulfilling their stated mission goal, instead of funding pet political projects and left-wing nonprofits.
CLAIM: DHS has cut programs that support State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) partners.
REALITY: Secretary Noem is empowering state and local leaders to lead disaster relief efforts without interference and red tape from the federal government. Local officials on the ground, not bureaucrats in Washington, know what their communities need.
In addition, DHS has not cut ANY programs that support SLTT partners. The letter’s signatories point to several programs and claim that modifying them has put lives at risk. They are wrong:
- The signatories point to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), but this program is administered at the local level, not by FEMA. It continues to function unabated without FEMA support.
- The National Fire Academy, meanwhile, was temporarily closed for about 3 months to assess its training to make sure it supports responsible use of taxpayer dollars. It re-opened in early June and remains open.
- The Youth Preparedness Council (YPC), meanwhile, did not have participants actually working in emergency management positions. The program was also not a statutory requirement. DHS encourages anyone interested in YPC programs to continue exploring how they can prepare their communities for disasters, and this is a great opportunity for SLTT jurisdictions to engage youth on their own terms.
CLAIM: DHS is censoring climate “science.”
REALITY: The previous administration heavily politicized FEMA, using taxpayer dollars to fund green initiatives and frivolous projects. FEMA is a disaster response agency, and Secretary Noem is ensuring it is focusing on its actual mission, not burning taxpayer dollars on a pyre of unfounded climate alarmism.
CLAIM: Reductions in the FEMA workforce are impacting its ability to respond to disasters.
REALITY: Secretary Noem is implementing President Trump’s mandate to cut waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government, of which there was more than plenty at FEMA. By cutting redundant contracts, eliminating unnecessary positions, and giving employees the opportunity to quit if they wish, DHS has reduced bureaucratic bloat. Since implementing these reforms, FEMA has become MORE responsive, getting personnel on the ground and approving grants nearly twice as quickly as previous administrations did.
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