US President Donald Trump visited disaster areas in California and North Carolina on Friday, as he threatened to "get rid" of the federal agency that helps with disaster relief.
The Republican President has criticised former president Joe Biden for his administration's response to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, which killed more than a hundred people when it passed through the southern state in September. As he left the White House, he told reporters that "We're going to get it fixed up."
"North Carolina has been treated very badly, so we’re stopping there," he said as he boarded Marine One.
Mr Trump has also showered California leaders with disdain for water policies that, he claims, have worsened the recent blazes that have destroyed parts of Los Angeles. He said he would “take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn’t let the water flow".
"It's like a nuclear weapon went off in Los Angeles, and that thing went for four or five days and no one was even fighting it because they didn't have any water," Mr Trump said during an interview with Fox News. "What happened to that state is incredible."
Mr Trump was expected to tour Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where rows of homes burnt to the ground. Fires in the area are still burning, with thousands of people under evacuation orders.
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The Palisades Fire has destroyed thousands of homes in California. AFP -
A plane drops fire retardant on the Eaton Fire, near Altadena, California. Bloomberg -
US President Joe Biden discusses the federal response to the wildfires with senior officials. AP -
People who fled the Eaton Fire gather at a donation centre in Santa Anita Park, California. AFP -
Mexican military personnel have joined the operation to tackle the Palisades Fire. Reuters -
A firefighter in the Palisades area. The fire is one of several simultaneous blazes that have spread across Los Angeles County. Reuters -
A helicopter drops water on hotspots in the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California. Bloomberg -
A search team works at a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena. AP -
An aerial image shows people affected by the wildfires gathering at a donation centre, at the Santa Anita Park race track in Arcadia. Reuters -
Pasadena Park Healthcare and Wellness Center chief Amy Johnson, left, hugs Rhea Bartolome, vice president of operations, outside their centre. AP -
Water is dropped by helicopter on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. AP Photo -
Burnt homes smoulder after the Palisades fire in the coastal community of Malibu in Los Angeles county. AFP -
Resident Luke Dexter sifts through the remains of his family's fire-ravaged beachfront property in the aftermath of the Palisades fire. AP Photo -
An aerial view shows the extent of the damage done to the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Smoke from the Palisades wildfires rises from the hills over Los Angeles on January 10. EPA
In North Carolina, Mr Trump received a briefing on recovery efforts.
During his visit, he suggested that he would sign an executive order on "reforming and overhauling" the Federal Emergency Management Agency or "maybe getting rid of them".
“Fema has been a very big disappointment," he said. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.”
Mr Trump cannot "get rid of" Fema by executive order as it is only an action that can be done with congressional approval — and the agency is supported by both political parties.
In his interview with Fox, Mr Trump suggested the federal government should not give assistance when a disaster hits, instead handing management over to individual states. The President said this would be quicker and cheaper than sending in Fema.
“Fema just hasn’t done the job," he said in North Carolina. "We’re looking at the whole concept of Fema.”
Contrary to Mr Trump's comments, the agency is not a first responder as it helps in disasters when local leaders request a presidential emergency declaration, a signal that the damage is beyond the state's ability to handle on its own. Fema can reimburse governments for recovery efforts such as debris removal, send support staff, and give stopgap financial assistance to individual residents.
