Americans need to have confidence in their government. And sometimes that means cleaning house.
Now a shocking resignation rattled the Trump administration to its core.
FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson Resigns After Six Months
David Richardson stepped down Monday as acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a position he held for only six months, according to a report first published by The Washington Post.
Richardson, a former Marine Corps artillery officer, faced significant criticism for his response to catastrophic flooding in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend in 2025.
Reports indicated he was difficult to reach during the initial phase of the crisis and had been gradually stepping back from FEMA duties in recent months. Sources said Richardson did not anticipate staying in the acting role beyond Thanksgiving.
Background and Circumstances of the Resignation
Prior to his FEMA appointment in May, Richardson led the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office.
He succeeded Cameron Hamilton, who was removed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after Hamilton publicly opposed the administration’s earlier statements about potentially eliminating FEMA. Noem later clarified that the administration’s intent is to reform the agency rather than abolish it.
Richardson’s acting FEMA role was structured to allow him to retain his CWMD position concurrently. It remains unclear whether he will continue in the CWMD post following his departure from FEMA.
During the Texas floods, Richardson was on a personal weekend trip with his two sons when the disaster began. He did not engage with the response effort until Sunday evening—nearly 48 hours after the flooding started—by which time widespread damage had occurred and nearly 130 lives were lost. The delay was cited as one factor that slowed the deployment of some of FEMA’s 28 search-and-rescue teams to the affected areas.
Ongoing Challenges with FEMA Disaster Funding and Response
FEMA has faced scrutiny over disaster response and funding in multiple instances. Republican Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have continued pressing for additional relief for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with requests extending into 2025.
In one notable development, Sen. Budd withheld his vote on the confirmation of DHS General Counsel nominee James Percival until further funds were released for Western North Carolina.
“I am grateful to Secretary Noem for approving $155 million in public assistance funding to reimburse Western North Carolina communities following Hurricane Helene,” Budd said in a November statement.
“I remain very willing to use every lever of power I have as a U.S. Senator to ensure Western North Carolina is made whole and that federal funds are approved and disbursed on a rolling basis into the future.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
