FEMA Employee Fired for Directing Workers to Avoid Homes with Trump Signs

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employee has been terminated after instructing her hurricane survivor assistance team to avoid homes displaying yard signs in support of President-elect Donald Trump. The incident, described as “reprehensible” by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which severely impacted Florida last month.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued a statement condemning the action, emphasizing that it was a “clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.” Criswell assured the public that such behavior would not be tolerated and that the agency would hold employees accountable for violating its standards of conduct.

The incident was reported to have taken place in Lake Placid, Florida, where the supervisor advised the team to bypass homes with Trump signs or flags. At least 20 homes were skipped due to this guidance from the end of October into November.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also weighed in on the matter, calling it “targeted discrimination” against Floridians who support Trump. DeSantis has directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to investigate the situation and expressed his optimism that new leadership in Washington would address such partisan actions.

The fired employee’s name was not disclosed, but the matter has been referred to the Office of Special Counsel for further investigation. Criswell reiterated her commitment to ensuring that such incidents do not recur, emphasizing the agency’s mission to help all disaster survivors without regard to political affiliation.