On Sunday, Washington broke her silence in an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner and suggested she was only trying “to keep the team safe.” Two additional FEMA sources corroborated her claim that FEMA employees had been facing numerous threats during disaster recovery, resulting in help having to be pared back to varying extents.

“There may be a lot of people that felt the way [Washington] felt, but I don’t think anyone else out there was stupid enough to put it in writing,” one senior FEMA official told the Washington Examiner.

Republicans slam decision as politically motivated

While FEMA employees have attempted to justify avoiding pro-Trump homes by claiming many of those property owners were hostile to emergency responders, others believe supporters of President-elect Donald Trump are being politically targeted.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) who serves as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, which oversees FEMA, told the Washington Examiner, “It’s reprehensible how the Biden administration weaponized FEMA to purposely deny Trump-supporting Americans critical aid and assistance during a natural disaster.”

Gimenez, a career first responder who has administered emergency operations in his own hurricane-prone community, added, “We must hold those responsible accountable & ensure those impacted receive the assistance they are rightfully entitled to.”

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) vowed to launch a House investigation into what he called an “outrageous abuse of power.” He said, “Denying disaster aid to Americans based on their support of President Donald Trump is as disgusting as it gets for an unelected bureaucrat being paid by American taxpayers.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) posted on X, “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days.” 

Threats to FEMA workers

Reports of emergency responders facing threats are well-documented. One such incident occurred in October in Rutherford County, North Carolina, where a man was charged with “going armed to the terror of the public” after making threats about harming FEMA employees while carrying a rifle and a handgun.

As a result of those threats, FEMA had to “stand down and evacuate the county immediately.” The hostile encounter occurred as false claims were being circulated about FEMA planning to bulldoze and seize Chimney Rock.

In Carter County, Tennessee, an armed militia confronted, “surrounded,” and threatened FEMA workers. The armed group only left after a volunteer member of the International Alliance of Community Chaplains defused the situation by distancing herself and the disaster relief command center from FEMA.

Violent threats against FEMA workers have been widespread on social media platforms such as TikTok and X as well, with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue declaring it “poses a credible risk to public safety.”

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in October that if the threats create “so much fear that my staff doesn’t want to go out in the field, then we’re not going to be in a position where we can help people.”

Washington, the former FEMA supervisor, admitted that the whistleblowers who leaked her message about avoiding pro-Trump homes “are telling you the truth,” but argued that the real issue is that FEMA employees are not given the resources and protection they need to be able to provide help to every household.