DHS Secretary Noem refutes claims she delayed FEMA aid after deadly Texas floods, calling CNN report “absolutely trash.”

Noem Rebuts Accusations of Delayed Disaster Response

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has strongly denied allegations that she delayed the federal emergency response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas, which left more than 100 people dead and over 150 missing. Noem’s comments came in the wake of a CNN report published Thursday, which claimed that recent policy changes she enacted slowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) deployment of vital resources to the disaster zone.

The CNN report asserted that Noem’s order—requiring her personal sign-off on every DHS contract and grant exceeding $100,000—created bureaucratic obstacles that restricted FEMA’s autonomy and delayed relief efforts. Citing unnamed agency officials, CNN stated that FEMA had previously operated under a clear directive to anticipate and rapidly deliver needed resources, but that the new requirements complicated the process during the Texas emergency.

According to the report, Noem did not approve FEMA’s deployment of Urban Search and Rescue teams until more than 72 hours after the floods began. A longtime FEMA official was quoted as saying, “We were operating under a clear set of guidance: lean forward, be prepared, anticipate what the state needs, and be ready to deliver it. That is not as clear of an intent for us at the moment.”

Noem: Federal Teams Deployed Immediately

Responding on “Fox & Friends,” Noem dismissed CNN’s claims as “absolutely trash,” maintaining that federal teams were present in the affected area from the outset. “Our Coast Guard, our Border Patrol BORTAC teams were there immediately. Every single thing they asked for, we were there,” Noem stated. She added that both Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd had not raised any complaints about the federal response, and praised the close cooperation between agencies.

Noem further explained that her department was simultaneously responding to flood disasters in New Mexico and North Carolina, emphasizing that DHS was meeting all requests for support in those states as well. She also criticized CNN for spreading what she characterized as “fake information and false information and lies,” arguing that such reporting undermines public trust in news organizations.

CNN, for its part, stood by its reporting in a brief statement, declining to retract or amend its coverage.

The flooding event, which struck central Texas near the Guadalupe River over the Fourth of July weekend, has been described as one of the deadliest natural disasters in the state’s recent history. As families and emergency workers continue search and recovery operations, debate continues over the timeliness and effectiveness of the federal response, as well as the scrutiny placed on decision-making at the highest levels of government.