White House Defends FEMA’s Hurricane Response, Criticizes Media for 'Sloppy' Reporting
White House responds to media reports by affirming FEMA's serious approach to hurricane season management.
The White House on Tuesday sought to reassure Americans that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is fully engaged and prepared for this year's hurricane season, pushing back against concerns raised by recent media reports about the agency's leadership.
Questions emerged after acting FEMA administrator David Richardson reportedly told staff during an internal meeting that he was unaware the U.S. had a hurricane season. The remark, which surfaced in multiple media accounts, sparked criticism and surprise from both lawmakers and the public. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security later clarified that Richardson’s comment was intended as a joke and emphasized that FEMA remains ready for what forecasters predict will be an active storm season running from June 1 through November 30.
At a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the swirling controversy, attempting to downplay the significance of Richardson’s statement. “FEMA is taking this seriously, contrary to some of the reporting we have seen, based on jokes that were made and leaks from meetings,” Leavitt asserted. She added that FEMA’s leadership, along with Secretary Kristi Noem, is closely monitoring preparations and the allocation of federal resources for emergency response efforts.
Leavitt also reinforced President Biden's commitment to responsible disaster assistance, noting, “This president has made it clear – we're not going to enable states to make bad decisions with federal tax dollars and then have the federal government later have to bail these states out.” She called on states to act responsibly with their budgets, while promising that all requests for federal disaster aid would be reviewed “deeply and thoughtfully.”
Despite the administration’s attempts to reassure the public, the remarks attributed to Richardson ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, openly questioned the FEMA chief’s qualifications, stating, “I’m unaware of why he hasn’t been fired yet.” Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi echoed that sentiment, declaring, “If you don’t know what or when hurricane season is, you’re not qualified to run FEMA. Get someone knowledgeable in there.”
The controversy comes at a critical time, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cautioned last week that the Atlantic basin is expected to experience “above-normal hurricane activity” this year. With potentially severe weather on the horizon, bipartisan agreement remains strong on the importance of federal readiness — even as lawmakers continue to debate over FEMA’s leadership and structure.
