Cameron Hamilton, above, has been nominated by President Trump to guide the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA). He beforehand led the company in an appearing capability, however was eliminated by the Trump administration a few yr in the past after telling Congress that didn’t assume the company ought to be eradicated.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Jose Luis Magana/AP
President Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton to guide the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), roughly one yr after the administration eliminated Hamilton from the identical place.
FEMA has been and not using a Senate-confirmed chief since President Trump took workplace. Hamilton beforehand led the company in an appearing capability. If he’s confirmed by the Senate, he’ll re-take management of the company because it heads into the Atlantic hurricane season.
Final week, a Trump appointed council of catastrophe specialists really helpful main modifications to how FEMA operates.
Hamilton is a former Navy Seal who labored on emergency planning for terrorism occasions for the State Division and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), in line with an official biographical abstract submitted to Congress when he appeared as a witness final yr.
Hamilton quickly led FEMA within the spring of 2025, however was eliminated by the Trump administration after a dramatic public disagreement with high administration officers about whether or not the company ought to live on.
“President Trump has been very clear because the starting that he believes that FEMA and its response in lots of, many circumstances has failed the American individuals, and that FEMA because it exists as we speak ought to be eradicated,” former Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem advised reporters in Might 2025.
That very same week, Hamilton testified at a Congressional listening to and advised lawmakers, “I don’t imagine it’s in the very best curiosity of the American individuals to eradicate the Federal Emergency Administration Company.”
The following day, Hamilton was changed. He later described his relationship with DHS officers as “very hostile” on the podcast Catastrophe Robust.
Since then, Hamilton has spoken out towards the Trump administration’s strategy to serving to survivors of disasters.
Below Hamilton’s successor, FEMA was gradual to assist those that had survived hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires. Secretary Noem, who was fired from her place at DHS in March, required that she personally log off on all contracts over $100,000, making a bottleneck for the fast-moving catastrophe company. In a single case, after lethal floods hit central Texas final summer season, tens of 1000’s of calls to FEMA from survivors went unanswered as a result of name middle contracts had been allowed to run out.
Noem repeatedly defended her selections, arguing that FEMA was operating effectively. However Hamilton raised the alarm about Noem’s insurance policies. They imposed “fully new types of paperwork now that’s lengthening wait instances for declare recipients, and delaying the deployment of time delicate sources,” Hamilton wrote on the networking web site LinkedIn.
In the identical submit, he mentioned claims that the administration’s insurance policies have been inflicting FEMA to run extra effectively may quantity to “mendacity.”
Hamilton now faces Senate affirmation hearings. Lawmakers from each events have expressed frustration with lengthy waits for catastrophe help and federal grant cash to guard individuals throughout the nation from floods, fires and storms.
