Defying a Federal Judge’s Orders

There is no hesitation to lock up a citizen when they defy a Federal judge’s ruling. Trump is no better than a citizen even though he is the president. His rights are no different than our rights. Lock the SOB up if he defies the law. At the least, charge him. The law also applies to a sitting president.

“Donald Trump Once Again Defies Federal Judge Ruling on FEMA,” Daily Beast

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—which helps the country prep for, respond to, and recover from disasters—announced on Friday that it is canceling all in-person training offered by its National Fire Academy. It’s a move that directly defies a federal judge’s order to resume spending, and not for the first time.

The National Fire Academy provides free training for fire and emergency services personnel to ensure the country is prepared for the next climate-related disaster. Fire has scorched more of the U.S. every year since the 1980s, a telltale sign of global warming according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The recent L.A. wildfires burned 37,000 acres and destroyed 16,000 structures.

“I have no idea why anybody would think that the NFA programs would not align with the administration’s priorities,” senior fire adviser Chief Marc Bashoor of FireRescue1 told the Daily Beast in an email. “This is all about public safety, and the president has indicated he supports public safety ardently… So I’m not sure what the NFA would not be supporting in the public safety mission, and frankly the cancellation is very disappointing.”

But the president is still blocking people from accessing agency programs, and bracing for similar catastrophes. It’s part of his ongoing effort to make sure programs align with administration priorities. The president directly violated a late January temporary restraining order that stopped the administration from pausing federal grants, and another March order that ordered Trump to release frozen funds and notify all federal agencies of the order.

An email from FEMA stated that all in-person NFA classes were canceled, effectively immediately, until further notice. Additionally, “only virtual offerings that do not have an instructor and no funds are involved will be held.”

Bashoor told the Daily Beast that there was a cohort of people scheduled to be at the NFA next week for an executive fire officer class. “This program is one of the most important leadership programs that the NFA offers… These people had made travel plans and arranged their families so that they could attend on campus for at least a week,” he said. “Without the NSA this type of program is not readily available, and would be 100 percent cost-restrictive for most attendees.”

The FEMA announcement came shortly after Obama-appointed Chief Judge John McConnell of the Rhode Island District Court ruled to prevent the Trump administration from withholding grants and loans. McConnell argued that Trump’s impact on FEMA funding causes “acute harm.”

He added that “with floods and fires wreaking havoc across the country, federal funding for emergency management and preparedness would be impacted” by freezing the grants. McConnell approved a preliminary injunction with five conditions that FEMA must comply with by March 14. The Trump administration was ordered to release all frozen funds and tell the agencies about it.

But Trump has already begun to dismantle FEMA and block states from receiving critical funds. New York, New Jersey, and Vermont were told by the administration to stop working on federal flood protection activities related to “environmental justice.” California and Michigan cannot access pre-approved grants or loans, and FEMA is not reimbursing Washington state for disaster recovery. A coalition of Democratic-led states that sued in federal court also noted that “hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA grants” are inaccessible.

The Trump administration has previously claimed that the FEMA money isn’t being “held”; it’s being reviewed manually, which they say doesn’t violate any court order.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) accused the workers of having “disgusting discrimination against Trump supporters.” Workers countered any suspicion that the political bias was widespread throughout the organization.

The Daily Beast has reached out to FEMA and the NFA for comment.

Trump has called FEMA a “very big disappointment” and said that states should manage disasters themselves. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem believes in getting rid of FEMA as it currently exists.

The administration has also combed through FEMA’s leadership to double-check they align with the administration’s orders. FEMA fired three supervisors Thursday after claims that disaster relief workers were told to avoid pro-Trump homes in Florida hit by 2024’s Hurricane Milton.

More than likely untrue. It does make for great publicity and creates am illusion of Trump fighting back the Democrats blocking what the citizens want as told in his stories.