FEMA Supervisor Instructed Workers to "Avoid Homes" with Trump Signs in Florida
FEMA Confirms Instruction to Bypass Homes with Trump Signs
In a memo titled “best practices,” Washington included the directive “avoid homes advertising Trump” among a list of safety instructions for employees. Other instructions in the list included directives to avoid going “anywhere alone,” practice “de-escalation,” stay hydrated, and “follow the rules.”
FEMA Expresses "Horror" Over Incident, Launches Investigation
FEMA employees reported that, due to this directive, at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were bypassed by relief workers in late October and early November. According to messages recorded in FEMA’s tracking system, workers noted “Trump sign no entry per leadership” when bypassing homes due to the signage.
By avoiding these homes, residents were denied the opportunity to apply for federal FEMA disaster relief assistance following the Category 3 hurricane’s landfall. A FEMA spokesperson expressed that the agency was “deeply disturbed” by the actions of the employee responsible for issuing the guidance and confirmed that the order to skip certain homes was indeed given.
"FEMA helps all survivors regardless of their political preference or affiliation, and we are deeply disturbed by this employee’s actions,” the spokesperson told *The New York Post*.
Immediate Action Taken Against Employee; Investigation Ongoing
The spokesperson clarified that Washington had no authority to issue such a directive, nor was there any guidance from leadership instructing employees to bypass homes based on political signs. FEMA stated that it has since removed Washington from her role and is conducting an investigation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson added.
In addition, FEMA is working to identify and reach out to residents who may have missed disaster assistance opportunities as a result of this directive.
Gov. Ron DeSantis Condemns Incident, Calls for Accountability
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis strongly condemned the directive, calling it an example of “weaponization” within the federal government. On Friday, he stated, “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days.”
The governor directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to investigate potential discrimination against Floridians who support Donald Trump, noting that this behavior underscores the need for administrative changes.
FEMA Reassures Public of Non-Discriminatory Assistance
FEMA reassured the public that it remains committed to providing assistance to all disaster survivors, regardless of political affiliation or beliefs. The agency emphasized that it is actively taking steps to correct the situation and ensure non-discriminatory relief efforts. FEMA confirmed that Washington is “no longer working in the state of Florida or in any FEMA operations at this moment” while the agency’s investigation is underway.
The incident comes at a time when FEMA has been under scrutiny for response times and challenges during the recent hurricane season. FEMA’s response has included a pledge to thoroughly address the matter and uphold its standards of impartial service to all citizens.
