Cameron Hamilton, fired by Trump for defending FEMA’s proper to exist, tapped to guide FEMA by Trump

His nomination comes because the Trump administration has more and more signaled it’s backing away from promises to dismantle FEMA, an company that has confronted withering criticism by the president. The nomination of Hamilton, who argued abolishing FEMA was not within the nation’s finest pursuits, is the newest indication of that change.

If confirmed, Hamilton can be the principal adviser to Trump and Homeland Safety Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency administration and FEMA’s first everlasting administrator in Trump’s second time period. The company has gone via three temporary leaders, together with Hamilton’s temporary tenure from January to Could 2025.

He would take over an embattled company nonetheless reeling from Kristi Noem’s turbulent leadership of the Division of Homeland Safety, of which FEMA is an element. FEMA’s workforce has been worn down by mass employees departures, policies that hamstrung operations and a 75-day-long DHS shutdown that ended April 30.

Hamilton might want to make sure the company is ready for summer time catastrophe season, simply weeks away, whereas answering to Trump, who’s more likely to count on main reforms after a council he appointed recommended sweeping changes last Friday.

“Now’s the chance to stabilize FEMA,” stated Michael Coen, the company’s chief of employees within the Obama and Biden administrations.

Fired after defending FEMA

Hamilton, who had by no means been a state or native emergency administration director and who had publicly criticized FEMA previously, was a controversial selection when Trump named him momentary chief in January 2025, simply days earlier than the president floated the idea of “getting rid” of FEMA.

His rupture with DHS officers started as he defended a federal function in supporting disaster-impacted states, tribes and territories.

“As soon as the dialog shifted to, ‘Now we’re going to abolish,’ I instantly expressed concern,” he stated final September on the “Catastrophe Powerful” podcast with John Scardena, a former FEMA incident administration group chief.

DHS officers even subjected him to a polygraph check, accusing him and different officers of leaking particulars of a personal assembly. He handed, however stated he knew his dismissal was inevitable.

At a Could 7 look earlier than a Home Appropriations subcommittee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, requested Hamilton if he believed FEMA needs to be abolished.

“I don’t imagine it’s in the most effective curiosity of the American folks to eradicate the Federal Emergency Administration Company,” he replied. The subsequent day, he was fired.

Hamilton should rebuild belief

Defending FEMA regardless of figuring out it will doubtless value him his job garnered respect and belief amongst folks whose job it’s to guide communities via disaster, stated Scardena, now president of the consultancy Doberman Emergency Administration Group, which trains emergency managers.

“He received myself over and I believe lots of people by what he did,” Scardena stated.

However a number of present FEMA staff who requested anonymity for concern of retribution for talking publicly advised The Related Press they’d issues over a number of the actions taken beneath Hamilton.

In 2024, Hamilton shared posts on X selling misinformation about FEMA spending throughout Hurricane Helene.

Throughout his momentary management, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to succeed in survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge. The Division of Authorities Effectivity gained entry to inner FEMA networks containing survivors’ non-public data. FEMA employees have been fired for fulfilling a reimbursement payment to New York City for housing undocumented immigrants as a part of FEMA’s Shelter and Companies program.

Hamilton has stated he believes FEMA wants main reform. He has stated that he needs FEMA to maneuver sooner, that the company is saddled with duties he sees as outdoors its remit, and that some states have turn into too depending on the company. A Trump-appointed council final week urged sweeping adjustments to FEMA, which might require congressional motion.

“I believe he’s going to want to rebuild belief throughout the company,” stated Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator beneath former President Joe Biden, including that she believes Hamilton cares about FEMA and he or she appreciated his outreach to emergency administration administrators and former officers throughout and after his tenure.

Senate affirmation course of might increase questions of expertise

Hamilton might face pushback within the Senate affirmation course of over by no means having led an emergency administration company, a standard stepping stone to turning into administrator of an company with over 21,000 staff.

Federal legislation requires the FEMA administrator to have “a demonstrated capability in and information of emergency administration and homeland safety” and at the very least 5 years of “govt management and administration expertise.”

Hamilton educated as a Navy hospital corpsman earlier than spending a decade as a Navy SEAL on SEAL Group Eight. He then grew to become a U.S. State Division emergency administration specialist dealing with abroad disaster response, then directed emergency medical companies at DHS.