Trump says U.S. disaster relief agency should be 'terminated'

President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack Tuesday on the U.S. federal disaster agency FEMA, calling for it to be shut down and its duties instead handed to individual states.

Trump, who has moved to slash government spending since taking office in January, wrote in all caps on his Truth Social platform that "The Biden run FEMA has been a disaster. FEMA should be terminated."

"It has been slow and totally ineffective. Individual states should handle storms, etc., as they come. Big savings, far more efficient!!!" the Republican added.

Trump echoed claims from his 2024 election campaign that the Federal Emergency Management Agency unfairly spent "tens of millions of dollars" on Democratic areas during its response to last September's deadly storm in North Carolina, where it killed more than 100 people.

FEMA, which coordinates the federal response to disasters when states request help, denied the allegations at the time.

It further condemned "misinformation" after Trump alleged that FEMA funds for victims of Hurricane Helene were being diverted to migrants, flood-hit property was being confiscated, and that storm victims were only getting $750 in total compensation.

Trump's latest attack on FEMA comes as California recovers from devastating wildfires that ravaged parts of Los Angeles in January.

He threatened during a visit last month to shut down the agency, saying it was "incompetently run," while also promising victims of the fires that the "federal government (is) standing behind you. 100 percent."

Following Trump's social media post Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said FEMA's chief financial officer and three other officials had been fired for apparently making "egregious payments for luxury NYC (New York City) hotels for migrants." Details of the allegations were not immediately available.

Trump has led a bombardment on federally-funded agencies in his second term as president.

His targets have included the US Agency for International Development and the Department of Education, which provide assistance to millions of people, though Trump alleges they are a waste of money.

The legality of his cost-cutting drive -- led by billionaire Trump donor Elon Musk -- has been challenged in courts, with several judges issuing injunctions and cautioning against overreach by the White House.

© Agence France-Presse