Reeves Responds To Question About Responding To Natural Disasters

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves fired back at CBS News host Margaret Brennan after she suggested that states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky would struggle to manage natural disaster response without heavy-handed federal intervention. Reeves, taking to X (formerly Twitter), called out what he viewed as Brennan’s “hilarious elitism” and disdain for Americans outside the D.C. and coastal political bubbles.

Brennan’s comments came during her interview with Vice President J.D. Vance on Face the Nation, where she pushed back against President Donald Trump’s proposal to overhaul FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Trump has floated the idea of reducing FEMA’s role in disaster recovery or even eliminating it altogether, instead allowing states to control their own disaster response efforts with federal funding support. Brennan questioned how so-called “lower-income states” like Mississippi could possibly handle emergency management on their own, triggering a sharp response from Reeves.

“HILARIOUS elitism by [Brennan] claiming that Mississippians know less about emergency management than D.C. bureaucrats,” Reeves posted. “All because her favorite Democrats in CA and NC have failed their constituents. The disdain these people have for any Americans outside of their little bubble is so pathetic and revealing.”

Reeves’ frustration reflects a broader sentiment in states like Mississippi, where many leaders have grown weary of federal agencies imposing top-down solutions while failing to address local needs effectively. Trump’s criticism of FEMA’s inefficiencies has struck a chord, especially after reports emerged that the agency slowed its disaster response in rural, conservative areas during previous administrations. Trump has argued that states are better equipped to manage their own recovery efforts, as they understand local challenges far better than bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

Vice President Vance echoed this sentiment during his interview, pushing back against Brennan’s claim that states lack the expertise to handle disaster response. “The president, to be clear, is not saying we’re going to leave anybody behind,” Vance clarified. “He’s saying that the way that we administer these resources…we’ve got to get the bureaucrats out of the way and get the aid to the people who need it most.”

Trump’s proposals stem from his growing frustration with FEMA, particularly after scandals revealed political bias within the agency. During a Friday rally in Asheville, North Carolina, Trump called out FEMA’s poor handling of relief efforts after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. He cited a Daily Wire report detailing how some FEMA workers in Florida deliberately skipped homes displaying Trump flags or signs during recovery operations.

“A whistleblower testified that some FEMA employees refused to help people who display Trump signs on their property,” Trump said. “I think that’s true, isn’t it? I read that. That’s not nice, that’s not too nice, is it?”

The Daily Wire report revealed that FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington had explicitly ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to avoid homes with visible Trump support. The whistleblower’s claims, corroborated by multiple sources, alleged that at least 20 homes were skipped as a result of these politically motivated instructions. Washington was later fired, but the scandal further fueled Trump’s call to reform FEMA and hold it accountable for its actions.

Trump’s criticism of FEMA and his push for reform come from a belief that the agency has become bloated, inefficient, and politically biased. His proposed overhaul would shift more control to the states, allowing them to manage disaster recovery efforts while the federal government provides partial funding. The goal, according to Trump, is to eliminate bureaucratic delays and ensure aid reaches those who need it most—regardless of their political affiliations.

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