FEMA's acting director is MIA -- and the media hasn't even noticed

[marmar]

FEMA’s acting director is MIA — and the media hasn’t even noticed
After the deadly Texas floods, few seem to be questioning Kristi Noem’s apparent takeover of the agency

By Sophia Tesfaye
Senior Writer
Published July 10, 2025 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) ....(snip)....

Acting FEMA Director David Richardson was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the agency in early May after Cameron Hamilton, the former acting chief, was ousted one day after breaking with the administration. While testifying at a congressional hearing, Hamilton admitted that he did not support eliminating the agency, a priority of Trump — and a recommendation outlined in Project 2025. In his second day on the job, Richardson issued a clear directive to agency staff.

“I, and I alone in FEMA, speak for FEMA. I’m here to carry out the president’s intent for FEMA,” Richardson said. A former Marine artillery officer and combat veteran with no experience in managing natural disasters, Richardson most recently served as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. According to Reuters, he informed FEMA staff after he took over in May that he planned to “split his time” between the two roles.

“Don’t get in my way if you’re those 20 percent of the people,” he said. “I know all the tricks.” He continued: “Obfuscation. Delay. Undermining. If you’re one of those 20 percent of the people and you think those tactics and techniques are going to help you, they will not because I will run right over you…I will achieve the president’s intent. I am as bent on achieving the president’s intent as I was on making sure that I did my duty when I took my Marines to Iraq.”

Two months later, and following at least two serious natural disasters, this was the last time Richardson was quoted in a media report.

....(snip)....

But so far, while the mainstream media is reporting on how Trump’s efforts to dismantle FEMA appear to have hampered the recovery effort in Texas, those same stories often uncritically swallow the DHS’s assertion that Secretary Kristi Noem is now in charge of FEMA, which is overseen by the department. NBC News, for instance, reported Wednesday afternoon that “FEMA officials created a task force to speed up the process of getting Noem’s approval” in Texas and “staff are confused about who is in charge of FEMA on a day-to-day basis.” The report followed up by quoting DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin’s spin that any confusion is “silly.” Several other reports don’t even mention Richardson by name. .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/07/10/femas-acting-director-is-mia-and-the-media-hasnt-even-noticed/

[LymphocyteLover]

1. The media doesn't seem to care about the fact that Dump destroyed FEMA or really much of the other

awful stuff he's done.