Trump Expected To Nominate Ousted Fema Chief To Lead Agency Again

President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Cameron Hamilton to service arsenic administrator of nan Federal Emergency Management Agency, astir a twelvemonth aft he was removed arsenic its acting head pursuing grounds to Congress successful which he defended nan agency's existence.

Hamilton went to nan White House Wednesday pinch Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for a gathering pinch Trump to talk FEMA opportunities according to an management official. But arsenic of now, nan Department of Homeland Security told NBC News it has "no unit announcements to make astatine this time.”

The White House declined to remark and Hamilton did not respond to a petition for comment.

Hamilton, a erstwhile Navy SEAL and erstwhile combat medic, served arsenic nan elder charismatic performing nan duties of FEMA administrator during nan first 5 months of Trump's 2nd term.

In May 2025, he testified to a House committee that he didn't judge FEMA should beryllium eliminated, contradicting erstwhile statements by Trump who had made clear that he wanted to dismantle nan agency.

A time later, he was removed from nan job. Tricia McLaughlin, past a spokesperson for nan Department of Homeland Security, told NBC News astatine nan clip that nan move was not a consequence to his testimony.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt, however, suggested that Hamilton's grounds factored into nan determination to push him out. "This is simply a unit matter successful regards to nan Department of Homeland Security, but my knowing is that this individual testified saying thing that was contrary to what nan president believes and nan goals of this management successful regards to FEMA policy. And so, of course, we want to make judge that group successful each position are advancing nan administration’s goals," she told reporters astatine a property briefing.

Hamilton antecedently told NBC News he was pushed retired of nan apical FEMA spot past May by Corey Lewandowski.

If confirmed by nan Senate, Hamilton would beryllium nan first full-time FEMA administrator of Trump's 2nd term. The agency has only been led by acting leaders complete nan past 15 months.

His information comes arsenic DHS has remained unopen down since mid-February and conscionable a fewer weeks aft nan caller DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin was sworn successful arsenic Homeland Security secretary. Hamilton precocious praised Mullin successful a station connected X aft nan caput visited North Carolina to talk its betterment from Hurricane Helene successful 2024. "This is activity successful action," Hamilton wrote.

In different X post successful early April, Hamilton thanked Trump for nan erstwhile opportunity to lead FEMA, saying he wished his "tenure had been longer, arsenic location is still overmuch much activity to do for reform." He said he was assured that nether Mullin's leadership, "good things will come."

Earlier this month, Mullin reversed a wide criticized rule implemented by erstwhile DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that required immoderate DHS spending complete $100,000 by personally approved by nan secretary.

Hamilton served 4 tours successful Afghanistan arsenic a Navy SEAL and past supported situation consequence teams and nan Bureau of Counterterrorism astatine nan State Department. Before starring FEMA successful an acting capacity, he oversaw DHS's section for emergency first responders.

While Hamilton defended FEMA's intent successful his 2025 testimony, he based on that it had "evolved into an complete extended national bureaucracy attempting to negociate each type of emergency, nary matter really minor."

"Instead of being a past resort, FEMA is each excessively often utilized by states and nationalist officials arsenic a financial backstop for regular issues that, frankly should beryllium handled locally," he told lawmakers. "This misalignment has fostered a civilization of dependency, waste, inefficiency, while besides delaying important assistance to Americans who are successful genuine need."

Trump had proposed respective times early past twelvemonth to upwind down FEMA operations, saying that it would commencement "phasing out" aft nan hurricane season. During nan summer, however, pursuing catastrophic floods successful Texas, then-Sec. Noem said that nan president conveyed that nan president nary longer wanted to adjacent down nan agency. She said Trump “wants it to beryllium remade truthful that it’s an agency that is caller successful really it deploys and supports states.”