Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem responded to CNN on Thursday after the network accused her of delaying the response to the Texas flood.
CNN reported in its article, “FEMA’s response to Texas slowed by Noem’s cost controls,” and that the DHS secretary’s new policies aimed at cutting spending delayed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ability to respond to the disaster in Central Texas. Noem told “Fox & Friends” that the accusation is “fake news” and “absolutely trash,” arguing that her agency responded “immediately” after the flood devastated the area.
“Well, there you go, fake news CNN again. It’s absolutely trash what they are doing by saying that. Because our Coast Guard, our Border Patrol and our tact teams were there immediately. Every single thing they asked for, we were there,” Noem began.
“The governor and the Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd were fantastic and nobody there has said anything about [that] they didn’t get everything that they wanted immediately or that they needed and I’m proud of the work that we have done … The fact that CNN is continuing to be political and push out fake information and false information and lies is not shocking, but it’s a disservice to the country,” the DHS secretary and former South Dakota governor said.
“It’s a real disservice to the country because people start to mistrust anything that comes out then over the news. But they just don’t trust anybody anymore,” Noem continued.
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Noem mandated that every FEMA contract and grant exceeding $100,000 requires her personal approval, CNN reported in June. The outlet’s latest coverage suggested that this policy “stripped [FEMA] of much of its autonomy” during the devastating flood that swept through at least six counties and claimed over 120 lives in the early hours of July 4.
A DHS spokesperson told CNN that Noem’s authorization was not required for additional FEMA resources, as the department deployed other DHS search and rescue assets instead. “FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens,” DHS’s Tricia McLaughlin said. “The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.”
