The Department of Homeland Security secretary defended the federal government's response and denied that policy changes slowed the agency's deployment.

The federal response to the flash flooding disaster in Texas has come under scrutiny. President Trump, who has called for cuts to FEMA, praised the agency during his recent visit to Texas, but did not comment on his plans for its future.

Some governors and mayors are concerned over how current or potential cuts to agencies will impact how the government can respond in the future to major weather events.

U.S. President Donald Trump actually sent 700 U.S. Marine Corps troops to Los Angeles in June 2025 — alongside 4,000 National Guard troops.

Kristi Noem detailed how the federal government deployed resources and funds to Texas flood victims, signaling fundamental changes to FEMA under the Trump administration.

In the survey — which sampled 1,680 U.S. adults — 52% of respondents said that most of the deaths could have been prevented if the government had been more adequately prepared. Twenty-nine percent said the deaths were unavoidable, and 19% said they didn’t know.

Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz has called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be investigated over the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to catastrophic flooding in Texas.

Multiple urban search and rescue teams from across the country that responded to the deadly floods in central Texas told CNN they were not deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency until at least Monday evening — days after any victim had been found alive.