During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, residents of affected areas depended on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to come to their aid. That’s the job, after all. Instead, agents were ordered to skip houses displaying Donald Trump campaign signs, flags, or banners.
In October, Florida was hit with rain, flooding, tornadoes, and, of course, the two hurricanes that caused all the adverse weather. Highlands County, Florida, sits in the south-central part of the state and was hit hard. It’s also a deep-red county, in which about 70% of voters chose Donald Trump for president this year. FEMA agents were called out to help, as they typically are after hurricanes, and one of the agency’s tasks was to sign up affected residents for disaster relief assistance. However, a supervisor in the agency, Marn’i Washington, had instructed workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” This was part of a best practices instruction guide that told workers not to go “anywhere alone,” to practice “de-escalation,” stay hydrated, and “follow the rules.” Avoiding Trump supporters was the second bullet on the list of rules.
“FEMA helps all survivors regardless of their political preference or affiliation and we are deeply disturbed by this employee’s actions,” an agency spokesperson told the New York Post. “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes, and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”
“We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels,” the representative said.
Bypassing these houses means the homeowners didn’t get a chance to sign up for federal disaster relief. At a time when these people were frightened and some without homes, Ms. Washington discriminated against Americans instead of helping them and refused assistance because of their political beliefs.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was furious and said his administration would investigate FEMA. He posted on X:
“The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days.
“At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.
“New leadership is on the way in DC, and I’m optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired.”
Washington’s actions are certainly a firing offense, but there has been some confusion as to what actions FEMA has taken. Agency employees told the Daily Wire that she had not been punished and was instead sent to a different county in Florida. A spokesperson for FEMA told The Post that she is “no longer working in the state of Florida or in any FEMA operations at this moment.”
“FEMA admits this happened but doesn’t say if the bureaucrat responsible has been fired,” the House Oversight Committee wrote on X. “Democrats relentlessly defend the rules that insulate unelected bureaucrats from accountability and make it nearly impossible to fire bad employees. This is why we need President Trump’s reforms to make bureaucrats accountable.”
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Oversight Committee, also took to X and posted, “FEMA hasn’t fired this person. … But the IRS has been trying to force IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley out for blowing the whistle! We must hold these unelected bureaucrats accountable.”
Donald Trump Jr. went on X to defend his dad and call out the agency: “This is outrageous even for the democrats in charge and should be criminal. These people should be ousted from FEMA, Government and society! A full investigation is in order!”
Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator, finally released a statement explaining what happened to Marn’i Washington. “We take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously. This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again,” she explained in a statement posted on X. But here’s the kicker: that statement wasn’t published until Saturday afternoon. So, not until after the story broke and the backlash hit did the agency admit this all really happened. Was Washington fired immediately, or did that action come after it became clear Republicans and the public weren’t simply going to let the matter – and the agency’s suspiciously vague answers – slide?
FEMA hasn’t been looking too good lately. A recent report shows that, during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the agency failed to answer almost half of the calls requesting aid and assistance. Because the call centers were so overwhelmed, nearly half of the callers were never connected with a federal worker. Furthermore, of the calls that were answered, it usually took more than an hour before anyone responded.
Funding, or lack thereof, is being blamed. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently said that FEMA “does not have the funds” to help Americans through the rest of the hurricane season. Some people blame the agency for earmarking $640.9 million this year to aid asylum seekers. Those funds cannot be reallocated because Congress assigned that money specifically for illegal immigrants and the migrant crisis.
Government agencies are responsible for assisting all Americans in times of crisis. Trust in these institutions depends on fairness, accountability, and reliability. This situation highlights the critical need for a truly impartial approach to disaster relief, one that rises above politics and serves the people without bias. When disaster strikes, it should remind us of our shared resilience and our duty to support others, regardless of differing opinions or affiliations.