FEMA leader is a no-show after deadly Texas flooding
Source: Politico
07/10/2025 12:48 PM EDT
As the Federal Emergency Management Agency responds to the deadly flooding in Texas, one key resource is missing: the FEMA leader. David Richardson, the agency’s acting administrator, has not been to the site of one of the nation’s deadliest floods in the U.S. in the past 25 years, upending a long practice of FEMA leaders making themselves visible after major disasters.
Public appearances by FEMA administrators, including meetings with governors and disaster survivors, have been a typical part of the nation’s disaster response, reassuring the public of federal support and showcasing political unity. The Department of Homeland Security, FEMA’s parent agency, did not respond directly to questions Wednesday from POLITICO’s E&E News about Richardson’s role in the government’s response to the disaster.
“DHS and its components have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach” to the Texas flooding, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an email, referring to help by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection. “FEMA has deployed extensive staff to support Texas response and recovery operations based on staff skills and requirements.”
Still, former FEMA officials said Richardson’s absence — and his lack of public appearances, statements and social media postings — raise concerns that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is controlling FEMA’s response. Noem, who visited the flooded area of central Texas on Saturday, oversees 22 agencies, of which FEMA is just one.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/fema-leader-texas-flooding-00445902
Because her job is to cosplay and "dress the part" wherever she goes.
= new reply since forum marked as read
She so purty...:like a 
