Politics & Government
Trump Picks NH's Doucette To Lead FEMA In New England
President Donald Trump has tapped a 6-term Salem lawmaker who co-chaired 2 of his campaigns in the state to run New England's FEMA office.
President Donald Trump has tapped a six-term Salem lawmaker who co-chaired two of his campaigns in the state to run New England’s regional federal emergency office.
Fred Doucette, who co-chaired Trump’s 2016 and 2020 runs in the first-in-the-nation primary state, before putting his weight behind Republican competitor Vivek Ramaswamy in 2023, was sworn in Monday as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region One branch, a FEMA spokesperson said.
Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The branch is headquartered in Boston and represents New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and 10 federally recognized Tribal Nations in the region.
Doucette was a United States Navy corpsman, and previously worked as a Salem firefighter and paramedic before retiring as station commander, the FEMA spokesperson said.
Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Republican resigned from the Legislature and his post as speaker pro tempore in the House to take the gig. Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican, has succeeded him in the leadership role, the House Speaker’s Office announced Monday.
Doucette’s appointment to FEMA comes as the agency faces an uncertain future. Trump has suggested he could do away with FEMA, and it has been subject to the mass firings that have taken place across the federal government since the start of the president’s second term.
The New Hampshire Bulletin, the Granite State's newest independent, nonprofit news organization, delivers accountability reporting on New Hampshire politics and policies. The New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
