FEMA Chief Threatened to Quit Weeks Ago Before Being Fired
Cameron Hamilton, the acting disaster chief, seemingly contradicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday by offering a defense of the agency.
TroibNews 
On Thursday morning, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was dismissed and replaced by a Trump administration official who lacks experience in disaster response.
Cameron Hamilton, the acting administrator of FEMA, was called to the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, where Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to President Donald Trump, terminated his employment, as reported by a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Following his termination, Hamilton returned to FEMA's headquarters, gathered his personal items, and departed. His biography was removed from FEMA's website, and his official X account was archived.
Hamilton's firing came just a day after he testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee, where his statements appeared to contradict recent remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding the potential elimination of FEMA. “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton stated at the hearing on Wednesday.
In response to inquiries from PMG’s E&E News, FEMA's press office confirmed the termination of Hamilton. “Effective today, David Richardson is now serving as the Senior Official Performing the duties of the FEMA Administrator,” a spokesperson communicated via email, also noting that “Cameron Hamilton is no longer serving in this capacity.”
Neither FEMA nor DHS, which oversees the agency, provided an explanation for Hamilton's dismissal.
Michael Coen, a former chief of staff at FEMA, expressed that Hamilton’s firing “further erodes the confidence that state emergency managers and the American people are going to have in the nation’s emergency management.”
Hamilton, who is a former Navy SEAL, had considered resigning about two months prior until FEMA staff persuaded him to stay, as disclosed by an anonymous source familiar with personnel matters.
In late March, Hamilton underwent a lie-detector test administered by Homeland Security officials to determine whether he leaked information from a private meeting with Noem and Lewandowski at DHS headquarters; the test cleared him.
Recently, Hamilton seemed to be becoming more comfortable in his role, speaking at conferences and fostering relationships with lawmakers. He often conveyed a friendly demeanor in public appearances and occasionally exhibited humor.
In April, Hamilton sent a six-page memo to the White House outlining options to reduce FEMA's role in natural disaster response. His proposal to significantly limit the types of natural disasters for which FEMA would offer assistance has garnered considerable attention.
His termination occurs during a period of unrest as Trump seeks to restructure or possibly eliminate the agency responsible for distributing approximately $45 billion annually to states and individuals for disaster recovery.
While Hamilton’s dismissal was unfolding, Noem was addressing questions regarding FEMA’s future at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the leading Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, remarked, “We have seen an upheaval at FEMA that is going to put lives in jeopardy. We are losing indispensable staff just weeks away from fire and hurricane season.”
After the hearing, Murray informed PMG’s E&E News that she was unaware of Hamilton's firing, stating, “I don’t like the appearance of it. But I don’t know if there’s more behind it.”
In a different interview, Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, expressed concern, saying, “I worry very much about what happens when natural disasters hit.”
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican whose state suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene last year, conveyed his disappointment upon learning of Hamilton’s termination, stating, “I thought he was a good leader.”
During the Wednesday budget hearing, Hamilton asserted that he was “not in a position” to determine the future of FEMA, suggesting that such decisions should be made between the president and Congress.
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, commented that Hamilton “was fired when he told the truth and refused to toe the administration line with its plans to eliminate FEMA.”
Hamilton’s ascent to the role of FEMA's acting administrator was indirect; Trump originally appointed him to a senior position, which allows that appointee to serve as acting administrator in the absence of both a permanent administrator and a deputy. Both positions have remained vacant since Trump assumed office.
Hamilton was never nominated for a permanent role due to lacking the emergency management experience mandated by federal law.
Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, voiced concerns about the current leadership uncertainty at FEMA given the ongoing spring flood season and the upcoming hurricane season. “There is a reason the law requires the administrator of FEMA to have state emergency management experience, and we would hope that the administration will be progressing on getting somebody with those kinds of qualifications in that position soon,” he stated.
Richardson, Hamilton's successor as acting administrator, previously served in the Marine Corps, where he commanded artillery units in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, according to his homeland security biography.
Reporting contributed by Andy Picon and Jennifer Scholtes.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
Cameron Hamilton, the acting administrator of FEMA, was called to the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, where Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to President Donald Trump, terminated his employment, as reported by a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Following his termination, Hamilton returned to FEMA's headquarters, gathered his personal items, and departed. His biography was removed from FEMA's website, and his official X account was archived.
Hamilton's firing came just a day after he testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee, where his statements appeared to contradict recent remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding the potential elimination of FEMA. “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton stated at the hearing on Wednesday.
In response to inquiries from PMG’s E&E News, FEMA's press office confirmed the termination of Hamilton. “Effective today, David Richardson is now serving as the Senior Official Performing the duties of the FEMA Administrator,” a spokesperson communicated via email, also noting that “Cameron Hamilton is no longer serving in this capacity.”
Neither FEMA nor DHS, which oversees the agency, provided an explanation for Hamilton's dismissal.
Michael Coen, a former chief of staff at FEMA, expressed that Hamilton’s firing “further erodes the confidence that state emergency managers and the American people are going to have in the nation’s emergency management.”
Hamilton, who is a former Navy SEAL, had considered resigning about two months prior until FEMA staff persuaded him to stay, as disclosed by an anonymous source familiar with personnel matters.
In late March, Hamilton underwent a lie-detector test administered by Homeland Security officials to determine whether he leaked information from a private meeting with Noem and Lewandowski at DHS headquarters; the test cleared him.
Recently, Hamilton seemed to be becoming more comfortable in his role, speaking at conferences and fostering relationships with lawmakers. He often conveyed a friendly demeanor in public appearances and occasionally exhibited humor.
In April, Hamilton sent a six-page memo to the White House outlining options to reduce FEMA's role in natural disaster response. His proposal to significantly limit the types of natural disasters for which FEMA would offer assistance has garnered considerable attention.
His termination occurs during a period of unrest as Trump seeks to restructure or possibly eliminate the agency responsible for distributing approximately $45 billion annually to states and individuals for disaster recovery.
While Hamilton’s dismissal was unfolding, Noem was addressing questions regarding FEMA’s future at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the leading Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, remarked, “We have seen an upheaval at FEMA that is going to put lives in jeopardy. We are losing indispensable staff just weeks away from fire and hurricane season.”
After the hearing, Murray informed PMG’s E&E News that she was unaware of Hamilton's firing, stating, “I don’t like the appearance of it. But I don’t know if there’s more behind it.”
In a different interview, Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, expressed concern, saying, “I worry very much about what happens when natural disasters hit.”
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican whose state suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene last year, conveyed his disappointment upon learning of Hamilton’s termination, stating, “I thought he was a good leader.”
During the Wednesday budget hearing, Hamilton asserted that he was “not in a position” to determine the future of FEMA, suggesting that such decisions should be made between the president and Congress.
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, commented that Hamilton “was fired when he told the truth and refused to toe the administration line with its plans to eliminate FEMA.”
Hamilton’s ascent to the role of FEMA's acting administrator was indirect; Trump originally appointed him to a senior position, which allows that appointee to serve as acting administrator in the absence of both a permanent administrator and a deputy. Both positions have remained vacant since Trump assumed office.
Hamilton was never nominated for a permanent role due to lacking the emergency management experience mandated by federal law.
Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, voiced concerns about the current leadership uncertainty at FEMA given the ongoing spring flood season and the upcoming hurricane season. “There is a reason the law requires the administrator of FEMA to have state emergency management experience, and we would hope that the administration will be progressing on getting somebody with those kinds of qualifications in that position soon,” he stated.
Richardson, Hamilton's successor as acting administrator, previously served in the Marine Corps, where he commanded artillery units in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, according to his homeland security biography.
Reporting contributed by Andy Picon and Jennifer Scholtes.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
