David Richardson
ON THE RECORD · 15 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“I wasn't going to Texas and tell them the check is in the mail. I made sure it was cashed before I went there to see the people of Texas.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said he made sure funding was secured before traveling to Texas to meet flood survivors.
“And once hurricane season is over, I'm done because I don't want to be in charge of a bloated Inefficient agency like FEMA that I can't put on a diet.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said he did not want to remain in charge of a bloated, inefficient FEMA that he could not restructure.
“I realized OK, I'm just here for hurricane season,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said he realized his role was only to last through hurricane season before deciding to resign.
“though a series of planning efforts and exercises.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said the agency prepared for worst-case scenarios through planning efforts and exercises.
“I eventually had to make a decision where I overrode DHS headquarters and sent the support anyhow,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said he overrode DHS headquarters to send support to Texas despite a memo requiring Noem's sign-off on large contracts.
“That's how I viewed getting support during hurricanes or as it came to be during the flash flood in Texas.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson explained his approach to providing disaster support during hurricanes and the Texas flash flood.
“greatest point of friction”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson did not go to Texas immediately after the floods because he believed the greatest point of friction was in Washington, D.C.
“The tragedy was, so many people died and the search and rescue teams had to get to Texas so they could recover the bodies,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson told ABC News about the tragic loss of life in the Texas floods and the role of search and rescue teams.
“I prepared for the worst from the minute I got to FEMA, and a worst-case scenario did happen and we were able to effectively maneuver around obstacles to make sure that the people of Texas got what they needed in their time of need,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson told ABC News in an interview that the agency maneuvered around obstacles to get Texans what they needed during historic July Fourth weekend flooding.
“he downstream effects of that memo...were never really considered.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said the downstream effects of Noem's cost-saving memo were never really considered.
“bloated, overweight and unhealthy,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson described FEMA as bloated, overweight and unhealthy, and wanted to reduce headquarters staff.
“I firmly believe that the 100K memo and the ramifications that it had was the beginning of the end for Secretary Noem,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson said the $100,000 approval memo and its ramifications marked the beginning of the end for Secretary Noem.
“When a Marine or an Army ranger calls for support, they get what they need, regardless of the cost,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson, a former Marine, compared disaster support to military support, saying troops get what they need regardless of cost.
“I was going to go to Texas once the check was cashed,”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson explained he would go to Texas only once the funding was secured.
“I knew the magnitude of the problem when I started looking at the low end of $500 million a day we're going to have to write contracts for. If I'm going to have to have everyone over $100,000 approved by headquarters, that's just another layer of bureaucracy.”
David Richardson · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-15
Richardson explained why he overrode DHS headquarters, citing the massive daily contract costs and the added bureaucratic delay of the $100,000 approval memo.