On his way out, the dismissed acting head of FEMA defended the agency’s criticized disaster response efforts from the Biden era while also taking pointed shots at the Trump administration.
According to reports, Cameron Hamilton was summoned 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 of his removal.
Hamilton’s firing came just a day after he testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he appeared to challenge recent comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about potentially dismantling FEMA and transferring more disaster funding responsibilities to individual states — an idea President Donald Trump has publicly supported.
Speaking at the hearing, Hamilton stated that eliminating FEMA would not serve the best interests of the American people.
FEMA later confirmed the leadership change, announcing that David Richardson would immediately assume the role of Senior Official Performing the Duties of FEMA Administrator, while Hamilton would no longer serve in the position.
A former Navy SEAL, Hamilton had reportedly considered resigning earlier during the transition into the new administration but ultimately stayed after encouragement from FEMA staff members.
Earlier in Trump’s term, the Department of Homeland Security dismissed four FEMA employees over what officials described as an unauthorized and “egregious” payment connected to housing migrants in New York City hotels.
The controversy intensified after Elon Musk posted on X that the DOGE team had uncovered a $59 million payment sent to luxury hotels in New York City to accommodate undocumented migrants. Musk argued the funds were intended for American disaster relief and said efforts would be made to recover the money.
The issue surfaced only weeks after Trump announced plans to significantly overhaul FEMA during a visit to North Carolina, where residents were still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
While speaking to reporters, Trump suggested FEMA could either undergo major reforms or potentially be eliminated entirely, arguing the agency had failed both North Carolina and the country overall.
He pledged rapid federal support for the state’s recovery efforts but also emphasized his belief that state governments should play a larger role in handling natural disasters. Trump argued that local officials are often better equipped to respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
The president also criticized FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene, claiming the agency had not acted effectively enough during North Carolina’s recovery process.
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