Lee meets with Trump for disaster relief roundtable

President Donald Trump, left, accompanied by Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn., walks in the Cross Hall to speak about protecting seniors, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump, left, accompanied by Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn., walks in the Cross Hall to speak about protecting seniors, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Sarah Dolgin January 29, 2025 2 min read

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee joined President Donald Trump in Asheville, North Carolina, at a meeting to discuss damage left by Hurricane Helene.

The president criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency and said the states are better off addressing local disaster damage themselves, according to a video of the briefing Friday.

“I think we’re gonna recommend that FEMA go away,” Trump said, “and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state, the states would fix this.”