Who is Jared Moskowitz? Democrat who might lead FEMA for Trump

What’s New

Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, is among President-elect Donald Trump‘s picks to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), CNN reported on Monday.

CNN reported that Moskowitz, a moderate who represents parts of south Florida in Congress, is in the mix to lead the agency, citing “two people with knowledge of the president-elect’s consideration” Monday afternoon. The report could not be independently verified by Newsweek, which reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team, as well as Moskowitz’s office, for comment.

Why It Matters

Trump, who will return to the White House in January after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election, has appointed several former Democrats to his administration, including former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Moskowitz, however, would be the first current Democrat to join the Trump administration if the president-elect picks him for the position.

What to Know

Few details are known about Moskowitz’s potential appointment.

It’s unclear whether the congressman and Trump have been engaged in discussions about the possibility of the Democrat leading FEMA. Trump’s team has not commented on CNN’s report.

Moskowitz has been critical of Trump in the past, even holding up a photograph of him with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing in January.

He also said he would join the Trump-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus when the new Congress convenes next year. He also offered praise to Susie Wiles after Trump named her his chief of staff, describing her as “brilliant, tough [and] strategic.”

Moskowitz has a history of working in Republican administrations.

He served as the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) under Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican. He held the position from January 2019 to April 2021, leading the department as the state recovered from Hurricane Michael and throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His tenure has earned praise from DeSantis who said he did a “terrific job” in his DEM position after Moskowitz announced he was stepping down in February 2021, according to the outlet Tallahassee Democrat.

Moskowitz was later appointed by DeSantis to join the Broward County Commission in January 2022. He was elected to Congress in November of that year.

The congressman, meanwhile, previously worked as the general counsel and vice president of business development for AshBritt Environmental, a disaster response contractor, according to CNN.

What People Are Saying

David Mark, managing editor of the Washington Examiner: “Moskowitz, representing the coastal Fort Lauderdale area FL23, won reelection in 2024 by a 52.3% to 47.7% margin. So, this would be a potential Republican pickup opportunity in a special election.”

Mia Camille McCarthy, a reporter for Politico: “I asked Moskowitz last week if he would accept FEMA director under Trump. He said he wasn’t going to engage. Then he came back to me to tell me he only says that because it should stay a nonpartisan job: ‘A Democrat shouldn’t be ruled out for that job it’s a nonpartisan job.'”

James Lynch, a reporter for the National Review: “Moskowitz came out strongly against FEMA’s discrimination against Trump supporters in Florida when the scandal was the topic of a House Oversight Committee hearing.”

What’s Next

If Moskowitz is appointed to the position, he would need to vacate his House seat, giving Republicans a little bit more wiggle room at the start of next year, when their already-narrow majority is likely to tighten due to Trump appointing House members to his Cabinet.

His district is comprised of parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties; although it used to be viewed as a solidly Democratic seat, it has grown more competitive in recent elections. Moskowitz won it by about 5 points in 2022 and 2024.

He would need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate if Trump appoints him.