David Richardson resigns as FEMA acting chief
David Richardson resigned as FEMA acting chief. He led the agency for almost seven months.
David Richardson, who headed up the Federal Emergency Management Agency as acting chief for almost seven months, resigned on Monday, Nov. 17.
The agency has repeatedly drawn concern from members of Congress and others this year about its ability to respond to disasters after more than a third of its staff was removed by the Trump administration amid its efforts to slash the size of the federal government. The agency had been under fire from President Donald Trump even before the election last fall.
Richardson was the second person to step into the post this year. The first, acting chief Cameron Hamilton, was ousted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after saying in a congressional hearing that he did not support the administration’s proposal to eliminate the agency.
Karen Evans, FEMA’s chief of staff, will move into the acting chief role on Dec. 1, DHS confirmed.
Criticism is not new for the agency. As the lead organization responsible for coordinating federal disaster assistance, it has often drawn the ire of disaster victims and politicians. But a USA TODAY/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year found that FEMA still receives broad support from the public.
Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an order to create a FEMA review council. Noem has overseen the group, which is assigned to advise the administration on recommended changes to the emergency organization. The panel’s final report to the president is due this week.
The report will “inform this Administration’s ongoing efforts to fundamentally restructure FEMA, transforming it from its current form into a streamlined, mission-focused disaster-response force,” DHS said.
Richardson, according to the department, helped oversee “a comprehensive review that identified and eliminated serious governmental waste and inefficiency, while refocusing the agency to deliver swift resources to Americans in crisis.”
On Nov. 3, Robert Garcia, D-California, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent Richardson a letter demanding to know how FEMA plans to fulfill its responsibilities to “prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies moving forward.”
Controversy began swirling around the former chief almost as soon as he took office. In his first staff meeting, he told staff he will “run right over” anyone that resists changes and that all delegation of authority in the agency is immediately suspended, Reuters reported. In one staff meeting, he joked that he didn’t know hurricane season had started, which didn’t go over well with employees in the meeting.
Richardson will be returning to the private sector, the department stated.
Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, disasters and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
