The acting head of FEMA was removed from his position shortly after publicly defending the agency’s disaster response efforts and appearing to disagree with parts of the Trump administration’s approach to emergency management reform.
Reports indicate that Cameron Hamilton was called to Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and senior Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski informed him that he was being dismissed from his leadership role.
The decision came only one day after Hamilton testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he addressed recent discussions surrounding the future of FEMA, including comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding the possibility of reducing FEMA’s role and shifting more disaster response responsibilities to individual states — an idea that President Donald Trump has publicly supported.
While speaking to lawmakers, Hamilton argued that eliminating FEMA would not be in the best interest of the American public, signaling disagreement with proposals to significantly scale back or dismantle the agency.
Soon after the hearing, FEMA officially announced a leadership transition. The agency confirmed that David Richardson would immediately step in as Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator, while Hamilton would no longer remain in the position.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, had reportedly considered resigning earlier during the transition into the new administration. However, according to reports, he chose to stay after encouragement from FEMA employees and staff members.
The leadership shake-up comes amid broader controversy surrounding FEMA and federal disaster funding. Earlier in Trump’s term, the Department of Homeland Security dismissed four FEMA employees over what officials described as an unauthorized payment tied to housing migrants in New York City hotels.
The issue gained national attention after Elon Musk posted on X that the DOGE team had identified a reported $59 million payment sent to luxury hotels in New York City for housing undocumented migrants. Musk argued the funds were originally intended for American disaster relief efforts and stated that attempts would be made to recover the money.
The controversy unfolded only weeks after Trump visited North Carolina, where communities were still recovering from Hurricane Helene. During that visit, Trump suggested FEMA could undergo major restructuring or potentially be eliminated altogether, arguing that the agency had failed both North Carolina residents and the country more broadly.
While promising federal assistance for recovery efforts, Trump also emphasized his belief that state governments should take on a larger role in responding to natural disasters. He argued that local and state officials are often in a stronger position to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.
Trump additionally criticized FEMA’s handling of Hurricane Helene recovery operations, claiming the agency’s response efforts in North Carolina had not been effective enough during the aftermath of the storm.
