President Donald Trump has designated Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley and three other North Carolinians to serve on a panel charged with reviewing the work and future of FEMA.
Trump signed an executive order Friday that created the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council. The group analyzes the federal response to Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters.
Whatley, who has chaired the RNC since March 2024, previously spent five years leading the North Carolina GOP. He hails from Watauga County and has an extensive resume serving the Republican Party — he was a senior official in the George W. Bush administration, chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and an adviser on the Trump-Pence campaign.
Earlier on Friday, Trump visited western North Carolina in his first trip upon returning to the White House. He floated the idea of “getting rid” of FEMA while there and announced he was tapping Whatley to review the entity.
“FEMA has been a very big disappointment,” he said Friday during a briefing alongside North Carolina officials in Asheville. “They cost a tremendous amount of money. It’s very bureaucratic, it’s very slow.”
It’s unclear what Trump’s plan to reform FEMA would entail. Asked by reporters to elaborate on the proposal, Trump said he would prefer for states to get direct payouts from the federal government rather than coordinating with FEMA.
Joining Whatley on the council are members of Congress representing North Carolina: Republican U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk, Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock and Tim Moore of Kings Mountain.
The panel will contain no more than 20 members and meet for one year to create “a full scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the president improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will oversee the committee. Both were sworn in over the weekend after receiving confirmation from the Senate last week.
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