President-elect Donald Trump started quickly announcing the names of people he would appoint to important positions in his upcoming administration after winning a second term last November.
However, a crucial stance is still unresolved only days before his inauguration, as wildfires rage across Los Angeles in what Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat from California, says will be one of the worst natural catastrophes in history: administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In a crisis like this, there are a lot of unresolved questions. Additionally, Trump might announce his FEMA selection at any time due to his erratic behavior and social media habits, but instead he is reacting to the fires by blaming Newsom and other Democrats without any evidence.
However, Trump has found a strong candidate for the FEMA position. According to three people who spoke to NBC News, the leading candidate is Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Guthrie has managed the state’s reaction to four significant hurricanes, including a Category 4, since taking over as head of the Florida agency in 2021. He also oversaw the state’s response to a South Florida condo collapse that claimed 98 lives. In the process, he has received positive reviews for the state’s response to those calamities from people of all political persuasions.
For his entire three-decade career, Guthrie has been employed in the emergency management sector. In 2018, he was appointed chief of staff to the state’s top emergency management department by then-Governor Rick Scott, who is currently a Republican senator. In 2021, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis selected him to head the division.
Last week, Trump’s transition team started to examine Guthrie for the important position, sending a swift message throughout the political community in Florida.
According to a lifelong Republican from Florida, the state is already getting set to fill the hole left by Guthrie’s possible appointment, therefore I think it’s going to be Kevin. We are receiving all the signs that he is the pick, and he makes perfect sense.
Requests for reaction from Trump spokesmen were not answered.
Guthrie was described as a no-brainer by a former official in the DeSantis administration.
This state has had some terrible storms under his leadership. He simply completes the task at hand and is not political. According to the source, FEMA would be fortunate to have him. I don’t blame the incoming Trump administration for sending out obvious indications that he is the primary choice.
“That’s who I would choose,” the individual continued.
Florida does have fires, but they are far less destructive than the ones that are currently destroying California, even though the state is far more used to hurricanes. Over 24,000 acres burnt in the state in 2024, with four large wildfires burning close to 30,000 acres.
Despite the fact that DeSantis, who selected him, has made his political reputation on the state’s several high-profile culture war battles, Guthrie is typically regarded as a nonpartisan figure who has not been personally involved in them.
The former staffer for the DeSantis administration stated, “I don’t see how Democrats could have a real issue with the pick.” Instead of playing partisan politics, he is in the business of emergency response.
Since they started on January 7, the wildfires in Los Angeles have grown, fueled by strong winds and dry weather. By Monday evening, almost 12,000 buildings and structures had been demolished, and 24 people had been killed. There are still evacuation orders in effect.
When one government changes and a new president’s nominations are awaiting Senate confirmation, federal agencies, which are staffed by career personnel who do not serve at the president’s whim, are accustomed to filling in for political appointees. FEMA is no exception. According to Daniel Llargues, an agency spokeswoman, career staff would fill in as acting personnel during the changeover between presidential administrations to allow political appointees to gradually take over.
According to Llargues, until a Trump nominee is confirmed, Tony Robinson, a 37-year veteran regional administrator who is in charge of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, will operate as FEMA administrator.
Trump has not made any public statements about his administration’s plans to deal with the wildfires when he takes office again next week. NOTUSandPoliticore reported Monday that he has privately talked with Republican members of Congress linking future wildfire assistance to a deal to lift the debt ceiling.
Concerns about Trump and Republicans tying funding to unrelated pieces of legislation were voiced by Lori Lodes, executive director of the leftist organization Climate Power.
In a statement to NBC News, Lodes stated that Donald Trump believes he can use a disaster to get political concessions, which is the only reason why wildfire help is not already in motion. He has the option to assist the American people at this very moment. Or he can worsen a catastrophe to start his term.
In an interview with Newsmax on Monday, Trump claimed to be evaluating the damage by putting on his developer cap before taking in the devastation.
In my opinion, the harm is more severe than if they were struck by a nuclear weapon. Trump went on to say, “I’ve never seen anything like it—vast miles and miles of houses just burned to a crisp.” They’re going to find a lot of bodies, and nothing is standing. Only the dogs will discover them, you know. German shepherds will, you know.
Trump has been asked by Newsom to assess the devastation caused by wildfires. Additionally, according to those involved with the discussions, Trump’s staff has been talking about a trip to Los Angeles, NBC News reported this week. Whether the trip will take place before or after Trump’s inauguration on Monday is unclear.
Last week, during an appearance with NBC News Meet the Press, Newsom attacked Trump for disseminating what the governor claimed to be false information regarding the fires. At a time when the source of the fires is unknown and the circumstances surrounding their spread are complicated, Trump has placed blame on Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and President Joe Biden. Trump has made a baseless connection between water supply problems that have hampered firemen and conservation efforts centered around the Delta smelt, a little endangered species.
In an emailed response on Tuesday, Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said the governor is concerned with ensuring firefighters have all the resources they require, safeguarding people, and not becoming involved in politics.
In the Meet the Press interview, Newsom praised Biden for his outgoing administration’s response to the flames and said he hoped to collaborate with Trump.
“I am grateful that Joe Biden is the president of the United States and took immediate action on behalf of the 40 million Americans who reside in California,” Newsom said. And I sincerely hope that we can collaborate with Donald Trump in the same way and with the same attitude.