FEMA employee removed from role after telling team to skip houses with Trump signs post hurricane

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employee has been removed from their position after instructing a disaster relief team to avoid visiting homes displaying support for President Donald Trump while canvassing in Florida following Hurricane Milton, the agency confirmed on Friday.

In a statement to CNN, a FEMA spokesperson expressed serious concern regarding the employee’s actions, emphasizing that the agency is “deeply disturbed” by the incident, which remains under investigation. The employee’s identity has not been disclosed.

“Although we believe this to be an isolated incident, we have taken immediate action by removing the employee from their role and launching a comprehensive investigation to ensure it does not recur. The individual in question acted without authority and was not directed to advise teams to bypass these homes. We are making efforts to reach any individuals who may have been inadvertently overlooked as a result of this guidance,” the spokesperson stated.

The Daily Wire initially reported the incident, referencing internal communications in which the employee instructed canvassing teams in Lake Placid, Florida, to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”

FEMA is currently assessing the extent of homes that may have been skipped during the October 27 canvassing effort. In response, the agency deployed a new team on Friday to revisit the affected area and ensure contact is made with any previously missed individuals. While details on how the agency was alerted to the incident remain undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation, FEMA reiterated its commitment to addressing the situation at all organizational levels.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the reports on Friday, announcing that state officials would conduct their own investigation.

“The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists within the federal bureaucracy underscores why the Biden-Harris administration is nearing its conclusion,” DeSantis, a Republican, posted on X (formerly Twitter). “At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management will investigate this incident involving the federal government’s discrimination against Trump-supporting Floridians.”

FEMA reaffirmed its mission to assist all disaster survivors, irrespective of their political beliefs or affiliations.