Politics

After David Richardson joined FEMA in Might, some FEMA employees expressed concern about his lack of expertise in emergency administration.

By Christopher Flavelle and Lisa Friedman, New York Occasions Service

June 3, 2025 | 8:46 AM

2 minutes to learn

The appearing head of the Federal Emergency Administration Company informed workers Monday that he didn’t know the US has a hurricane season, in line with two individuals who heard the remarks and mentioned it was unclear if he was critical.

The official, David Richardson, has served within the Marines and labored within the Division of Homeland Safety’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Workplace. After he joined FEMA in Might, some FEMA employees expressed concern about his lack of expertise in emergency administration. The comment, coming a day after the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, might deepen these issues.

The 2 individuals who described the remark requested to not be recognized as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly.

The Division of Homeland Safety, which oversees FEMA, mentioned in a press release that Richardson was joking. The company assertion mentioned FEMA can be centered on catastrophe response this hurricane season and mentioned the Trump administration is within the strategy of reforming an company it believes is bloated.

Even when the remark was a joke, the timing can be questionable. The hurricane season, which started Sunday and lasts by Nov. 30, is taken into account the company’s most difficult interval, throughout which the nation is essentially the most weak to large-scale devastating disasters that may overwhelm state and native catastrophe managers. As well as, FEMA has simply gone by a serious discount in staffing.

Throughout the identical assembly, in line with the 2 folks, Richardson informed company workers that FEMA ought to plan to answer this 12 months’s hurricane season the identical manner the company responded to final 12 months’s hurricane season. However workers have expressed concern with that strategy due to the company’s decreased workers.

Because the begin of the Trump administration, FEMA has misplaced about one-quarter of its full-time workers, together with one-fifth of the coordinating officers who handle responses to large-scale disasters, in line with a former senior official. The departures got here after strain from the Division of Authorities Effectivity, beforehand led by Elon Musk, for an enormous culling of federal employees.

Richardson’s predecessor at FEMA was Cameron Hamilton, who was pushed out in early Might, a day after telling members of Congress that FEMA was important to communities “of their best occasions of want” and shouldn’t be eradicated. The remark gave the impression to be in battle with President Donald Trump, who has recommended the company be eradicated.

On his first full day as appearing administrator, Richardson informed the company’s workers that if any of them tried to hinder his agenda, “I’ll run proper over you.”

This text initially appeared in The New York Occasions.