Science Friday The decades-long movement to kill FEMA
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May 2, 2026 
Micah Loewinger, journalist and co-host of On The Media, traced FEMA’s origins and controversies. He discusses the agency’s Cold War roots and dual mission. He explores how secrecy and continuity plans spawned conspiracy theories. He examines political moves and militia exploitation that have weakened federal disaster response.
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Cost Cuts And Political Hires Crippled FEMA's Capacity
- Trump administration cost controls and unqualified hires hollowed out FEMA's workforce.
- Kristi Noem required personal sign-off on expenditures over $100,000 and brought in conspiracy-aligned leaders, prompting experienced staff departures.
FEMA Is A Federal Frankenstein With Dual Missions
- FEMA combined civil defense and disaster response into one agency with a dual mission.
- President Carter merged fragmented preparedness, response, and civil defense offices in the late 1970s, giving FEMA both natural disaster and continuity-of-government roles.
Cold War Plans Turned Into Modern FEMA Conspiracies
- Cold War civil defense projects seeded later conspiracy theories about FEMA camps and secret bunkers.
- Real programs like Mount Weather and Project 908 planned continuity-of-government and post-nuclear survival, which later fueled militia paranoia.