A viral post shared on X claims Project 2025 would “dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).”
I kept seeing tweets about how Pr*ject 2*25 would basically dismantle FEMA and other federal aid that helps during disaster relief, so I went and did my own digging to confirm and yes, that is absolutely what conservatives plan to do if it’s implemented
— Hueless P. Newton aka Shaun Scheme (@MrsGeotech) September 29, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A Project 2025 document entitled “Mandate for Leadership” proposes multiple reforms, including moving the federal agency, not dismantling it. In addition, a Project 2025 spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA does not have enough funding to make it through hurricane season, according to The Associated Press. Mayorkas told reporters the federal government is “meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” the outlet reported.
The X post, viewed over one million times as of writing, claims Project 2025 would “dismantle FEMA.”
“I kept seeing tweets about how Pr*ject 2*25 would basically dismantle FEMA and other federal aid that helps during disaster relief, so I went and did my own digging to confirm and yes, that is absolutely what conservatives plan to do if it’s implemented,” the post reads.
The claim is false. A Project 2025 document entitled “Mandate for Leadership” proposes moving FEMA to either the Department of the Interior or combining the agency with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and moving both agencies to the Department of Transportation. Likewise, the document proposes privatizing FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program and “reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government.” The document makes no mention of completely dismantling the federal agency.
In addition, the claim neither appears on Project 2025’s website nor its associated social media accounts. Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports suggesting Project 2025 would “dismantle FEMA.”
In fact, the opposite is true. On Oct. 3, Snopes debunked the claim, citing the same Project 2025 document that proposes moving the federal agency and privatizing the agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. (RELATED: Did Alejandro Mayorkas Discuss Heritage When Asked About Helene Recovery?)
Furthermore, a spokesperson for Project 2025 denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“Rather than ‘cutting’ FEMA, as is being falsely claimed on social media, Project 2025 is advocating for a realignment of the agency’s mission and focus – away from DEI and climate change initiatives and restoring it to that of helping people before, during, and after disasters,” the same spokesperson said.