Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency "failed" the people of western North Carolina in the aftermath of the deadly storm that ravaged the region.
Edwards made the comments after touring the region with President Donald Trump on Friday. He joined "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" to discuss Trump's remarks at a briefing earlier in the day to dismantle or overhaul the agency.
"I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away," Trump said in Swannanoa, North Carolina, adding, "FEMA has been a very big disappointment."
Edwards, who represents 17 counties, all of which have been declared a natural disaster after being ravaged by Hurricane Helene in late September, agrees with the president. For many communities across Appalachia, Helene was their first encounter with devastating extreme weather.
"FEMA has definitely failed the people here of western North Carolina. And I'm so glad to hear the president recognize that it needs to be overhauled," Edwards said. "It needs to be changed in a major way. I've not seen anything that federal government could do better than those decision makers closer to the people they represent, such as state government."
Edwards commended the president for coming through.
"He was here in October, just a few days after the storm. He planted his feet in the mud, and he promised the people of North Carolina that we would not be forgotten," Edwards said. "And now, today, his first trip on Air Force One in this presidency is to western North Carolina. ... I had the honor of being aboard it, and we touched ground right here in western North Carolina. Another promise made, another promise kept."
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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