President Donald Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL whom the administration fired as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency last year, as permanent director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Hamilton was the interim leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from January to May of last year, but he was He was fired one day after testifying on Capitol Hill He did not agree with proposals to dismantle the organization charged with coordinating the federal government’s response to disasters, an idea Trump had I asked again and again.
“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the American people to eliminate FEMA,” he told members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee.
FEMA has lacked a permanent director throughout Trump’s second term and is currently a third interim leader, which is… Critics said it undermines Agency effectiveness.
Trump offered Hamilton the job on Wednesday, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times was the first to report Trump’s intention to nominate Hamilton.
Hamilton’s nomination comes at a critical time for FEMA, as its future remains uncertain. Trump has said he wants to shift more responsibility for disasters to states and has created a review board for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is expected to propose sweeping reforms to how the agency supports communities affected by disasters.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen He expressed his support for FEMA While calling for reforms, in stark contrast to his call Kristi Noem’s predecessorwho has pledged to “eliminate FEMA as it exists today” and whose dealings with the review board It became risky.
It is unclear how Hamilton will lead FEMA or what Trump expects from his leadership.
Hamilton’s relationship with Department of Homeland Security officials became “very hostile” during his short tenure at FEMA, he said on a September episode of the radio show Hard Disaster. He said he wanted to cut “wasteful spending” and “reduce the size of the agency,” but not dismantle it.
Trump has not officially announced his candidacy and may change his mind. Hamilton may also face headwinds during the Senate confirmation process because he has never served as state emergency management director.
Federal law requires the director of FEMA to have “demonstrated ability and knowledge in emergency management and homeland security” and at least five years of experience in executive leadership and management. If confirmed, he will become the president’s principal advisor and Secretary of Homeland Security for all matters related to emergency management.
Hamilton spent a decade in the US Marine Corps, serving on SEAL Team Eight for four overseas deployments between 2005 and 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile and congressional biography.
He then served as a supervisory specialist in emergency management at the U.S. Department of State and as director of emergency services at the Department of Homeland Security for several years.
Hamilton ran for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District in 2024 but lost in the Republican primary.
In a LinkedIn post earlier this month marking FEMA’s 47th anniversary, Hamilton said he was grateful to work under Trump’s leadership and alongside his colleagues at FEMA. “I wish my term had been longer, because there is still a lot of work to be done on reform,” he wrote.