FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on Sunday that it’s important for weather events, like the California wildfires, not to become political.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Jake Tapper asked Criswell about President-elect Trump calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom incompetent because the wildfires have not been fully contained.
On whether she’s concerned that “politics could get in the way of disaster relief,” Criswell told Tapper, “Disasters, we need to make sure that they are never politicized.”
“It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican,” she continued. “These types of weather events, they do not discriminate.
Criswell said she is confident that disaster relief would continue as President Biden departs from office and Trump takes his place.
“The women and men of FEMA are going to continue to work hard to make sure that we are continuing to support all of those people impacted,” she said.
“They will work through this transition like they have worked through every other presidential transition to deliver the services that people are eligible for and to make sure we’re helping these communities recover,” she added.
The death toll from the southern California wildfires reached 16 as of Saturday night, with five deaths caused by the Palisades Fire and 11 caused by the Eaton Fire, according to an update from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
As of Sunday morning, the Palisades Fire was only 11 percent contained and burned 23,654 acres. The Eaton Fire was only 15 percent contained and burned 14,117 acres.
