DHS Rejects CNN Report on Texas Flood Response Delays

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has strongly disputed a CNN report claiming her new policy delayed FEMA’s response to catastrophic flash flooding in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, which killed at least 120 people and left over 150 missing.

The floods, centered near the Guadalupe River, devastated communities, with a death toll reported between 119 and 120 across sources.

CNN’s report, citing four FEMA officials, alleged that Noem’s rule requiring her personal approval for any DHS contract or grant over $100,000 created bureaucratic obstacles, delaying the deployment of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams until Monday, over 72 hours after the flooding began on Friday. 

The report suggested this slowed FEMA’s ability to provide critical resources, as disaster response costs often reach billions, making the $100,000 threshold negligible.

Noem, appearing on Fox & Friends, called the CNN report “fake news” and “absolute trash,” asserting that DHS assets, including the Coast Guard and Border Patrol, were deployed immediately. 

🚨 KRISTI NOEM BLASTS CNN

Fox’s @GriffJenkins: “CNN has basically got a report accusing you of slowing the process [to the tragic flooding in Central Texas]. Would you like to respond to that?”

DHS Secretary @KristiNoem: “There you go. Fake News CNN again is absolutely trash… pic.twitter.com/0y1DWDN6J2

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) July 10, 2025

She emphasized a rapid federal response, noting President Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration hours after Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request. DHS claimed that by Tuesday, FEMA had 311 staffers on the ground, supporting hundreds, and that Noem’s approach prioritized state-led recovery, providing funds faster than ever.

DHS’s statement on X further labeled CNN’s reporting as “activist journalism,” claiming Noem worked tirelessly in Texas to meet responders’ needs and that the response saved over 900 lives. However, the statement did not directly dispute CNN’s timeline of the 72-hour delay for USAR teams. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, told CNN that other DHS assets, like the Coast Guard, were used initially, reducing the need for immediate FEMA reinforcements.

Critics, including FEMA officials, expressed frustration, noting that USAR teams, trained for catastrophic floods, were not pre-positioned as is typical, due to Noem’s cost-control measures. The policy, part of broader Trump administration efforts to reform FEMA and shift disaster response to states, has raised concerns within the agency about its ability to act swiftly as hurricane and wildfire seasons approach.