&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Playing politics': Kristi Noem slams ‘false’ report that FEMA ignored thousands of calls during Texas floods")
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has pushed back against a damning report in The New York Times that claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ignored thousands of distress calls during catastrophic flooding in Central Texas. The Times reported that FEMA failed to respond to nearly two-thirds of all emergency calls during the disaster, which has so far claimed at least 129 lives, with another 160 still unaccounted for.
Noem says criticism is ‘political’
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Noem dismissed the report as untrue. “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, that people are playing politics with this because the response time was immediate,” she added.
She further added, “The false reporting has been something that is inappropriate and it’s something that I think we need to clear up. This response was by far the best response we’ve seen out of FEMA, the best response we’ve seen out of the federal government in many, many years and certainly much better than what we saw under Joe Biden.”
Contractors cut and rescue delayed
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
)
Major relief for TN CM Vijay as wife Sangeetha withdraws infidelity and divorce petition
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Primetime trailer: Robert Pattinson channels Chris Hansen in A24's dark crime thriller
)
Lightning bolt strikes football field in Thailand, killing a player during a match
)
US loses 23,000 jobs in July as labour market slowdown deepens
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
)
Thailand teen killed grandparents before shooting teachers at school – What we know about suspect
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Pentagon releases new batch of 41 UFO files, including videos and images
)
Thailand: 14-year-old goes on rampage, kills grandparents, teachers & self | Gravitas
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
US Senate passes sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill targeting energy revenue
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Criticism has focused on Noem’s decision to cut costs by laying off hundreds of FEMA call centre contractors. CNN also reported that new regulations requiring the Homeland Security secretary to approve any contract or grant above $100,000 slowed down the mobilisation of critical search and rescue teams.
Noem brushed off the claims, saying, “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 is completely wrong.”
Noem, who has faced criticism in the past for her approach to immigration raids and is sometimes referred to by critics as “ICE Barbie”, has again found herself under fire for the government’s handling of a disaster. Despite the backlash, she continued to defend FEMA’s actions and even hinted at wider reforms.
“The president recognises that FEMA should not exist in the way that it always has been,” she said. “It needs to be redeployed, in a new way, and that’s what we did during this response.” She added, “It’s not just FEMA that can respond in these situations. The federal government has all kinds of assets, and we deployed them.”
