Trump Fires the Weather Forecast After Tropical Storm Makes Him Look Bad

“They said Barry would bring a drizzle—I looked like a liar. You’re fired.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following Tropical Storm Barry, which unexpectedly dumped torrential flash floods across Texas, former President Donald Trump announced he was officially “firing the weather forecast” after meteorologists dared to contradict his persistent claims that “nobody saw it coming.”

“These forecasters predicted a little rain—a few sprinkles,” Trump fumed on Truth Social. “Then Texas floods. They made me look incompetent. So I fired them. All of them. Forecasts are fake news now.”

News reports confirm that 15 National Weather Service offices along the Gulf and in Puerto Rico are currently missing nearly one-third of their meteorologists, after staff cuts and a government hiring freeze imposed by the Trump administration. Over 600 NOAA and NWS employees have departed since his second term began.Los Angeles Times+2AP News+2The Guardian+2Politico+8The Guardian+8The Guardian+8

The Real Damage Behind the Infraction

• Critical satellite data from a Pentagon weather program has been cut, stripping meteorologists of key forecasting tools—especially during hurricane season.E&E News by POLITICO+1Politico Pro+1

• Florida TV meteorologist John Morales warned on-air that due to staffing shortages—20% to 40% vacancy in key offices from Tampa to Puerto Rico—forecasts are becoming unreliable and citizens are “flying blind.”The Guardian+2The Guardian+2AP News+2

• In Central Texas, severe flooding associated with Barry killed dozens, and critics quickly linked the disaster to underfunded forecasts and understaffed service—which led to delayed emergency alerts and confusion among local authorities.Wikipedia+1AP News+1

Despite these credible warnings, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insisted in congressional hearings that the weather service was “fully staffed”, even while claiming to open just over 100 “mission-critical” roles. Critics call this claim misleading.Politico+3AP News+3AP News+3

What Trump Wants Next

• All weather forecasts repealed and replaced with Trump-owned or endorsed “Forecast Assurance™” apps that only issue "sunshine" and “Winning Alerts.”

• Satellite data programs canceled entirely, with storm predictions delivered via Mar-a-Lago press releases.

• Any meteorologist who dares to issue a warning will be fired and replaced by “video game weather reporters”—promised to be “24/7 loyal.”

Trump's Official Statement:

“If no one expected Barry, we have bigger problems than weather. I don’t need forecasts. I need loyalty. The minute someone makes me look bad… they're fired. Weather’s over.”