The Division of Homeland Safety lashed out at CNN over a report that the Federal Emergency Administration Company’s response to the tragic and devastating floods in Texas was slowed by bureaucratic obstacles.
In a publish on X, DHS referred to as the CNN report a “pretend information lie” and “activist journalism.”
CNN reported that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem‘s new coverage, which required her log off on any contract or grant over $100,000, prevented FEMA from pre-positioning city search and rescue groups till they bought her approval. That didn’t come till Monday, greater than 72 hours after the flooding began, the community reported.
CNN has defended the report, with a spokesperson saying, “We stand by our reporting.”
Within the piece, CNN featured a response from a spokesperson for DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, who mentioned that the division initially used different search and rescue property. Different entities, just like the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Safety, assisted.
However the DHS assertion doesn’t truly dispute the CNN timeline of when Noem signed off on the city search and rescue crews. Within the X publish, DHS mentioned that, “By Tuesday, FEMA had deployed 311 staffers, offering assist and shelter for tons of of individuals. Below President Trump and Secretary Noem’s management, DHS is reforming FEMA to prioritize state-led, regionally executed catastrophe response, as Texas has exemplified.”
CNN’s report, citing inside FEMA information, was that solely 86 staffers had been deployed by Monday evening, increasing to 311 the following day.
The story comes amid Trump’s name to dismantle FEMA, leaving it as much as the states to bear extra of a accountability for catastrophe response. CNN reported that inside the company, there are fears over its skill to reply as hurricane and wildfire season approaches.
The Trump administration’s assaults on the community are nothing new. Trump and Noem final week prompt that the community might be prosecuted over its reporting on a brand new app that tracks the sightings of ICE brokers in neighborhoods. A CNN spokesperson mentioned, “There may be nothing unlawful about reporting the existence of this or some other app, nor does such reporting represent promotion or different endorsement of the app by CNN.”
