 "President Donald Trump speaks to the media after he and first lady Melania Trump stepped off Air Force One upon their arrival at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C., on Friday. AP")
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he will sign an executive order to begin the process of “fundamentally reforming and overhauling” or “maybe getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) as he visited hurricane-hit North Carolina.
“I think, frankly, that Fema is not good,” The Guardian quoted Trump as telling reporters in Asheville, North Carolina.
“I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to use your state to fix it and not waste time calling Fema … I think we’re going to recommend that Fema go away,” he added.
He went on describe Fema as a “big disappointment”.
“They cost a tremendous amount of money. It’s very bureaucratic, and it’s very slow,” he added.
Trump did not offer clear details on what he would replace it with, but indicated he wants to move more of the disaster management responsibility to the states.
That was a key priority of the conservative ’Project 2025” written by Trump’s supporters, including some who’ve since joined his administration.
“A governor can handle something very quickly,” Trump said.
With inputs from agencies