New FEMA Chief Warns Staff Blocking Trump’s Agenda: "I'll Run Right Over You"

The new director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Has threatened to 'steamroll' staff in his department who refuse to comply. Donald Trump 's agenda.

David Richardson stepped in as the interim head of FEMA following his predecessor Cameron Hamilton being removed from the position just one day later. criticizing the president's plans to abolish the department.

The new appointee, who holds the title of Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator, was spotted on video delivering a serious warning during a team meeting on their inaugural day.

"Don’t stand in my path," the ex-US Marine said to the staff members, as per a recording of his address acquired by us. CBS News.

"I don’t require the complete title; I merely need the authorization from the president," Richardson went on, standing behind a podium reminiscent of one used in presidential addresses.

'Confusion, procrastination, sabotage. Should you be among that twenty percent who believe such strategies and methods can aid you, they won’t work because I'll steamroll over you. My aim is to fulfill the president’s objective.'

"I am the sole representative of FEMA," Richardson stated.

FEMA staff members subsequently told CBS that the speech was 'crazy' and 'frightening.'

Richardson was appointed following Hamilton’s dismissal on Thursday, just days after he defied Trump during a Capitol Hill hearing regarding suggestions to use a chainsaw against the national disaster relief agency.

'I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,' Hamilton said.

However, Richardson seized his initial gathering with countless new team members to express his loyalty to the president.

"I am just as committed to realizing the President's vision as I was when ensuring I fulfilled my responsibilities during my deployment with the Marines to Iraq, leading eleven of them," Richardson stated according to CBS.

Previously, he was a ground combat officer with the United States Marine Corps and engaged in operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, where he received a commendation for bravery.

In his 17-minute address, he shared a story about dispatching a member of the Second Marine Division back from Iraq.

"I had a crucial mission, so nobody could destabilize me or create obstacles," Richardson stated.

His initial move as an official was to distribute two memos to his team, urging everyone to go over them carefully.

They require staff to generate reports and data assessing FEMA’s preparedness for 2025 along with identifying any possible vulnerabilities.

He mentioned that his initial day would involve examining all the regulations and statutes governing FEMA, ensuring they adhere strictly to these guidelines and only undertake activities permissible under the law.

"If we aren’t doing that, we’re squandering the money of the American taxpayers," he stated.

The administrator mentioned that a town hall meeting will take place at some point in the future, allowing employees to pose their queries.

The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that the recordings of the address, "seem to indicate a fruitful initial gathering."

has reached out to FEMA for their input.

Richardson comes from Waterford, Michigan, and he was formerly designated as the Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, as stated in his official bio.

He likewise instructed history at George Washington University, and coached strategy at both the US Army Field Artillery School and the Marine Corps Martial Arts program.

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