President Donald Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton on Monday to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, returning the former Navy SEAL to the same agency he was fired from a year ago after he publicly defended its existence before Congress.
If confirmed, Hamilton would become FEMA's first permanent administrator in Trump's second term. The agency has cycled through three temporary leaders since January 2025, including Hamilton's own brief tenure, which lasted from January to May of that year. He would serve as the principal adviser to both Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency management matters.
Hamilton's dismissal came one day after he testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee on May 7, 2025. When Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, asked whether he believed FEMA should be abolished, Hamilton answered directly. "I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," he said. He was fired the next day.
His troubles with Department of Homeland Security officials had begun before that hearing. According to ABC News, DHS officials subjected him to a polygraph test, accusing him and others of leaking details of a private meeting. He passed the test but said he understood the end was coming. "Once the conversation shifted to, 'Now we're going to abolish,' I immediately expressed concern," Hamilton said last September on the Disaster Tough podcast with John Scardena, a former FEMA incident management team leader.
The nomination signals a shift in the Trump administration's posture toward FEMA. Trump had repeatedly criticized the agency and in early 2025 floated the idea of eliminating it entirely. A council appointed by Trump recommended sweeping changes to the agency last Friday, and Hamilton would be responsible for carrying out reforms while also preparing FEMA for the summer disaster season, now just weeks away.
The agency Hamilton would inherit is in difficult shape. FEMA's workforce has been strained by mass staff departures and operational disruptions, including a 75-day DHS shutdown that ended April 30. The agency is also still adjusting following the turbulent tenure of Kristi Noem at the Department of Homeland Security.
Michael Coen, who served as FEMA's chief of staff in both the Obama and Biden administrations, said the moment calls for steady leadership. "Now is the opportunity to stabilize FEMA," Coen said.
Hamilton was a disputed choice even when Trump first named him temporary leader in January 2025. He had no prior experience as a state or local emergency management director and had previously criticized the agency publicly. His willingness to defend FEMA despite the professional cost, however, earned him credibility among emergency management professionals. His confirmation process will now put that credibility to a formal test before the Senate.
