WASHINGTON — A former FEMA supervisor who was dismissed after instructing staff to skip hurricane-damaged homes displaying Trump signs defended her actions in a televised interview, comparing the directive to existing safety policies for avoiding properties with aggressive dogs.
The incidents happened in Florida, but now it is being reported the same tactic and training was employed in North Carolina.
Marn’i Washington, the former FEMA employee, spoke with Fox News following her termination, which came after a leaked memo revealed that she had directed field staff to bypass homes with Trump signs in hurricane-hit areas. The directive, initially reported by the Daily Wire, sparked widespread criticism and accusations of political bias within the federal emergency response agency.
Washington argued that her instruction was consistent with FEMA policy aimed at protecting field workers who feel unsafe. “If staff were uncomfortable approaching certain homes, such as those with Trump signs, they had the right to skip them,” she said, adding that this guideline was similar to policies allowing staff to avoid properties with hostile animals. She contended that the policy applied across multiple hurricane-affected states, not just in Florida.
“This wasn’t about politics—it was about staff safety,” Washington stated during the interview. “We’ve always had protocols for situations where staff felt their well-being was at risk.”
Washington suggested she was being unfairly singled out as a “scapegoat” due to her role in authoring the directive, which she said was misunderstood and mischaracterized. She maintained that the policy was in line with FEMA’s safety standards and denied any intention to discriminate based on homeowners’ political affiliations.
FEMA has not publicly commented on the specifics of Washington’s interview, but the agency previously condemned the directive as a violation of their impartiality and mission to assist all disaster survivors without discrimination. Washington’s termination has reignited debates over political bias within federal agencies and the extent to which personal safety policies should allow field workers to bypass certain homes.