On August 29, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard addressed the 20th Anniversary Commemoration of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. The transcript of her remarks is below.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
Transcript of Remarks
20th Anniversary Commemoration of Hurricane Katrina
Gulfport, MS
August 29, 2025
Thank you very much. Aloha, Governor Barbour, Governor Reeves, Mayor, General Ginn. I feel like there's probably not much more to say after Governor Barbour's remarks but let me just share what a privilege and honor it is for me to join all of you here today on this truly momentous occasion. I can only imagine the mixed emotions and feelings that all of you have, especially those who were here 20 years ago, maybe those who were forced to evacuate, those who lost loved ones, those who were first responders, those who serve in our National Guard and responded in the wake of this disaster. It's impossible to stand here and not think about the extreme sadness I imagine you felt during that time. It's impossible to gather here today and not honor the lives of the 238 of our fellow Americans who perished because of Hurricane Katrina and the 1.5 million people who were forced to evacuate.
But it's also impossible not to stand here today and celebrate the resilience, the strength, the courage, and kindness that can only come from the deepest place in our hearts, and can only be inspired by the knowledge and faith in God's unconditional love for every one of us. As I was sitting there listening to Governor Barbour recount his experience, I thought of a small town in my home state of Hawaii that experienced a historic natural disaster two years ago when a wildfire converged with unprecedented winds scorched the earth of the small town of Lahaina in the island of Maui, and took the lives of 102 people. The words that I've heard from some of your leaders here today, remembering what happened here 20 years ago, saying it looked like there was an atomic bomb that went off here on the coast. Utter destruction, everything gone. That was the same, the same words that I heard used in the days after that fire in Maui.
And in each of these examples, we will always remember those who were lost. But my hope is that we remain inspired as we stand here 20 years later by what came after and remember the unity that we felt. Remember the strength that came from all of us coming together as neighbors, as friends, as colleagues, as Americans, that allowed us to get through these historic disasters and recognize that yes, as we come together in the wake of these disasters, there are challenges that we face every day and we are always better together when we stand united as Americans, putting service above self as every one of those first responders did, every one of those residents, every one of those family members, every one of those leaders did in those days after Katrina.
Leadership matters all the time, but especially in the wake of these disasters. I've seen firsthand what happens in the wake of a terrible natural disaster when there is a failure of leadership. It is the people who are suffering the most, who are harmed the most. I have seen and experienced firsthand what happens in the wake of a disaster when you have a police chief who's fighting with the mayor, who's fighting with the fire chief, squabbling about power, or jurisdiction, or authority, instead of taking action decisively to serve the people that they have been charged to serve. It's inspiring to see and hear about the leadership that rose under Governor Barbour during that time and the unity that came forward.
There are important lessons to be learned here as there are in the wake of every natural disaster. And I'm grateful to serve in President Trump's cabinet because he is someone who looks at what happens and recognizes what needs to be fixed based on those lessons learned. And as Governor Barbour mentioned, he was able to go and work with Congress to be able to get the resources ultimately necessary to serve your community here. President Trump recognized this, which is what has driven his changes in FEMA to say it is those of you who are here on the ground who know what's happening the best. You know what is needed more than any bureaucrat in Washington. And so, the federal government should provide that direct support and that direct aid to the state, cut the bureaucracy and the red tape, so that the right things and the right priorities and the right people are being served with those federal resources.
As we gather here today, 20 years later, all of you have shown what's possible. That from devastation came determination. And that spirit unyielding, courageous, and caring is what we celebrate today and what we will remember in the wake of Katrina. May God bless you all and may God continue to bless this great state and our great nation. Thank you so much. Aloha.
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