Overview
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, responsible for coordinating federal disaster response to hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and other emergencies. Under the Trump second term, FEMA has been targeted for downsizing, with the administration pushing to shift disaster response responsibility to states and slashing funding and staff. The agency’s Office of Response and Recovery — its largest division — is headed by Gregg Phillips, who has made headlines for teleportation claims and election fraud conspiracy theories.
Key Facts
- Office of Response and Recovery has 1,000+ employees and ~$300M budget No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported
- Trump pushed to downsize FEMA and shift disaster response to states No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported
- Kristi Noem led FEMA funding and staff cuts as homeland security secretary No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported
- The agency uses a “Waffle House Index” to gauge storm damage by restaurant operating status No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported
Newsletter Relevance
FEMA is a key case study in Institutional Capture and deliberate degradation of federal capacity. The combination of budget cuts, staff reductions, and appointment of Gregg Phillips represents a multi-vector attack on disaster response infrastructure.
Connections
- Gregg Phillips — heads Office of Response and Recovery
- Donald Trump — pushing to downsize the agency
- Kristi Noem — led funding cuts
- 2025 United States Government Shutdown — FEMA funding context
Source Appearances
- No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported — FEMA’s institutional context and leadership
Open Questions
- What is FEMA’s current operational capacity compared to pre-Trump levels?
- How has disaster response performance changed under the current leadership?