The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed on Saturday that it has terminated an employee who reportedly told relief workers in Florida to avoid assisting homes displaying yard signs in support of Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued a statement condemning the employee’s actions as a violation of the agency’s core values, which prioritize providing aid regardless of political affiliation. “This was reprehensible,” Criswell stated, emphasizing FEMA’s commitment to unbiased assistance.
According to the initial report from The Daily Wire on Friday, the fired FEMA supervisor had directed her team to exclude Trump-supporting homes from disaster recovery operations. Criswell affirmed FEMA’s dedication to impartial relief efforts, adding that the incident has been referred to the Office of Special Counsel for further investigation. “I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again,” she asserted.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis strongly criticized the incident, calling it “targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.” He also ordered Florida’s Division of Emergency Management to launch an investigation. In a post on social media platform X, DeSantis denounced what he termed the “blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy,” adding that such incidents underscore the need for a change in federal leadership.
This incident follows just days after Trump’s recent presidential victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, and during ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricane Milton, which caused significant damage to Florida’s Gulf Coast. During the storm response, Criswell had previously criticized Trump, accusing him of spreading misinformation about FEMA’s disaster relief funding status.