On Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced to a room full of reporters at the White House the successes of President Donald Trump's administration's preparation and response to Winter Storm Fern.

"President Trump quickly approved 12 federal emergency disaster declarations within 24 hours for the states of Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, enabling these states to access critical federal resources to supplement their response efforts if needed.

"These declarations will help state-led efforts of turning power back on, clearing roads for emergency services and keeping communities safe. The White House will continue to correspond directly with governors and local officials in the coming days, especially in those states that were harshly impacted by the storm."

Earlier in Trump's second term, he was sharply criticized and warned that his proposed cuts to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) would lead to catastrophic failures in both preparation and response for natural disasters. 

Critics, including former FEMA employees and state officials, lambasted the Trump administration's proposed and implemented cuts to FEMA staffing and funding, warning that such reductions would severely impair the agency's ability to respond effectively to major disasters and could lead to catastrophic outcomes reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina.

Claims that Trump was abandoning the American people turn out to be empty

In an open letter signed by almost 200 current and former FEMA employees, they stated: "A change in course is necessary to prevent not only another national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina, but the effective dissolution of FEMA itself and the abandonment of the American people such an event would represent." 

In addition to the rapid approval of emergency declarations, which authorized FEMA to coordinate relief and provide aid for essential activities, in many cases within days of state requests, the Trump administration proactively coordinated with states and pre-positioned supplies (including meals and generators). 

By most accounts, the Trump administration's handling of Fern appears to have been proven effective, with President Trump deploying hundreds of FEMA personnel.

Furthermore, FEMA has established a dedicated resource page for response and recovery, with federal aid flowing for power restoration, debris removal, and protective measures in affected areas.

Biden fumbles disasters: Hawaiian wildfires, Ohio toxic train derailment

By contrast, the federal response to the 2023 Maui wildfires drew widespread criticism for former President Joe Biden's initial "no comment," a nearly two-week delay in visiting the site, and initial aid offers of just $700 per household, which many residents described as insufficient, poorly coordinated and insulting. 

Deaths by suicide and drug overdose significantly increased in the aftermath of the August 2023 Maui wildfire, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Additionally, Biden's handling of the February 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment faced bipartisan backlash for the administration's perceived slow engagement. Biden refused to visit the affected community until more than a year later despite ongoing resident concerns about health and cleanup.

Later investigations revealed that FEMA officials under the Biden administration systematically discriminated in disaster aid distribution by deliberately avoiding or delaying assistance to homes displaying Trump campaign signs or Second Amendment support during multiple relief efforts.

Hundreds of thousands without power, flight cancellations

Winter Storm Fern is impacting over 30 states with heavy snow (over a foot in many areas), destructive ice accumulation, freezing rain, and extreme cold, affecting regions from northern Mexico to the Northeast. 

Reports indicate at least 13–18 storm-related deaths as of the publishing of this article, peak power outages hit hundreds of thousands of homes (heavily concentrated in Southern states like Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas), and thousands of flight cancellations, according to The Weather Channel.