He tried to eliminate FEMA. Now he says the Trump administration has changed course

David Richardson worked to eliminate the country's top disaster agency when he led FEMA last year. Now, he says the administration has abandoned that goal.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4842x3228+0+0/resize/4842x3228!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2Fde%2Fd20b17424edaac1bf933bd19a783%2Fgettyimages-2226670978.jpg' alt='David Richardson testifies before Congress in 2025, when he was leading the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In a new book, he describes his efforts to dramatically reduce the agency's size. "I quickly realized that I would not be the one to transform FEMA or shut it down," he says.'/><p>David Richardson worked to eliminate the country's top disaster agency when he led FEMA last year. Now, he says the administration has abandoned that goal.</p><p>(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5943052' />