Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has rejected claims from The New York Times that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) failed to respond to most emergency calls during the recent deadly floods in Central Texas.

The floods have resulted in at least 129 deaths and left 160 people missing, according to official figures. The Times report claimed that FEMA did not respond to nearly two-thirds of the distress calls during the disaster.

Noem Calls the Report “False” and “Political”

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Noem strongly denied the allegations. “It’s just false,” she said. “It’s discouraging that during this time, when we have such a loss of life and so many people’s lives have turned upside down, people are playing politics. The response time was immediate.”

She also criticized the media coverage, calling it “inappropriate.” Noem praised FEMA’s performance, saying, “The response was the best we’ve seen out of FEMA and the federal government in many, many years—and certainly much better than what we saw under Joe Biden.”

Critics Point to Budget Cuts and Delays

Despite Noem’s defense, critics have raised concerns about FEMA’s readiness and leadership. They blamed her cost-cutting measures, particularly the layoffs of hundreds of FEMA call center workers, for weakening the agency’s response.

CNN also reported that new rules introduced under Noem require the Homeland Security secretary to personally approve any FEMA contracts or grants over $100,000, which reportedly caused delays in deploying search and rescue teams.

Noem Rejects Anonymous Criticism

Noem dismissed those allegations, challenging the credibility of the sources. “I’m not sure where it came from. The individuals who are giving you information out of FEMA, I’d love to have them put their names behind it because anonymous attacks to politicise the situation are completely wrong,” she said.

Noem Defends FEMA, Hints at Broader Reform

Despite the backlash, Noem continued to support FEMA’s actions during the floods and hinted at broader changes within the federal emergency response system.
“The president recognises that FEMA should not exist in the way that it always has been,” she explained. “It needs to be redeployed in a new way, and that’s what we did during this response.”

She further emphasized that emergency management is not FEMA’s responsibility alone.
“It’s not just FEMA that can respond in these situations. The federal government has all kinds of assets, and we deployed them.”

Political Spotlight on Noem’s Leadership

Noem, who has previously faced criticism for her tough immigration policies and is often nicknamed “ICE Barbie” by her opponents, is once again under political scrutiny. This time, the criticism focuses on how the federal government—under her leadership—managed the emergency response to one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history.