Federal Emergency Management Agency manager Marni Washington says she was fired as a scapegoat to avoid President Trump’s “retaliation” after hurricane relief workers in Florida and the Carolinas were told to jump over the houses of some of his supporters because of “politics”. hostility.”

Mrs. Washington say the decision to terminate his job was a policy taken by FEMA leaders to show Trump that they are “loyal to him because they fear punishment.”

During an interview with journalist Roland Martin, the former employee tried to defend the decision to tell others to avoid homes with Trump yard signs, saying it was standard practice when a “community trend” of “political hostility” arose.

“Once we start to see a trend, for example, if they happen to have these Trump campaign signs in front of their homes and that’s the feature that comes with it, we have to proceed with caution,” Ms. Washington said. .

She also said there was “avoidance in the Carolinas” after Hurricane Helene, in addition to Florida.

Mr. Martin sought to clarify his comment by asking what would happen if FEMA employees surveyed a street where eight homes had Trump yard signs and residents of three of those homes expressed “hostility.” Ms. Washington said she would tell her superiors that employees were “encountering hostile encounters” and then her team would move to another street.

“That’s the directive,” Ms. Washington added, saying her superiors told her that if her team felt “uncomfortable” or unsafe, they should simply move to other houses.

FEMA did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Ms. Washington was fired after the Daily Wire reported that more than 20 Florida homes were ignored by FEMA workers assessing damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton because they had Trump yard signs.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, said the decision to skip homes with Trump flags is a “clear violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.”

Governor DeSantis called the report evidence of “targeted discrimination” and said the Florida Division of Emergency Management would investigate the allegations.

According to one post at X by the GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Ms. Criswell is scheduled to testify about the FEMA favoritism allegations next week. “We look forward to hearing what he has to say about these allegations and more,” the committee said.