'Mean': Trump's new FEMA chief whines after 'joke' leaves new staff stunned

President Donald Trump's new chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency whined about "mean-spirited" jokes after a comment about hurricane season left his new staff dumbfounded.

David Richardson casually admitted at an all-hands meeting that he didn't know the U.S. had a hurricane season — just a day after it began.

Four sources who spoke to Reuters confirmed the bizarre exchange, which has set off alarm bells throughout the agency tasked with responding to natural disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has already warned of an "above-normal" season, projecting 6 to 10 hurricanes, with up to five potentially reaching major status.

But in a statement given to the Daily Beast, Richardson's spokespeople passed the staggering comment off as a light-hearted quip.

“Despite mean-spirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this hurricane season,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said.

While the Department of Homeland Security scrambled to downplay the incident as a "joke," insiders paint a different picture. Richardson, a Marine veteran with zero disaster response experience, was parachuted into the role last month after Trump unceremoniously fired his predecessor for daring to disagree with the president's vision of gutting FEMA.

ALSO READ: FBI silent as far-right podcaster demands Trump execution and Kash Patel torture

Adding fuel to the fire, Richardson announced he wouldn't be issuing a new hurricane season plan, despite earlier promises. This leadership vacuum has left FEMA staff in disarray, with one source describing a state of utter confusion within the agency.

Trump's crusade against FEMA is already having real-world consequences. The agency recently denied North Carolina's plea for extended hurricane damage reimbursement after a storm claimed over 100 lives. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer is still waiting for FEMA assistance days after a devastating tornado caused $1 billion in damage.

As coastal communities brace for what could be a catastrophic hurricane season, the question on everyone's mind is: With a FEMA chief who doesn't even know hurricanes have a season, who will be there to pick up the pieces when disaster strikes?