President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a new FEMA Review Council, a task force charged with overhauling what he described as a “terribly broken” federal emergency management system. The move marks a significant step in Trump’s broader plan to bring competence, accountability, and local control back to federal disaster response.
The newly formed council brings together a mix of federal, state, and local leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. Their mission is to conduct a top-to-bottom review of FEMA’s structure, operations, and effectiveness in crisis response.
The council will evaluate FEMA’s ability to deliver rapid, coordinated aid in the face of natural disasters and national emergencies—something Trump and many Republican governors have said the agency has failed at in recent years. Trump’s goal is to cut through bureaucracy, reduce federal inefficiencies, and return more control to state and local governments who are often better positioned to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies.
“FEMA has become bloated, slow, and politically entangled,” one senior official said. “The people on the ground need support, not red tape.”
The task force is also expected to explore ways to streamline federal aid delivery, reduce overlapping agency roles, and ensure resources are deployed based on need—not political favoritism. In past disasters, FEMA has faced criticism for delays in aid distribution, lack of communication with local authorities, and inconsistent responses across states.
There is growing support among Republican leaders for decentralizing FEMA’s power and giving states more flexibility and funding authority. Proponents argue that governors and local officials are best equipped to tailor disaster response to the unique needs of their communities. However, critics of this approach claim that reducing federal control could leave resource-strapped areas vulnerable during large-scale emergencies.
The FEMA Review Council is expected to deliver its findings and reform recommendations to the president in the coming months. The outcome could set the stage for the most significant restructuring of the nation’s emergency management system in decades.
Trump’s push for FEMA reform reflects his broader leadership style—targeting bureaucratic waste, demanding accountability, and prioritizing real-world results over political posturing.