Cameron Hamilton, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was abruptly dismissed on Thursday, less than a month before the start of hurricane season. The firing follows Hamilton’s public opposition to the Trump administration’s proposals to significantly reduce or even eliminate FEMA, an agency responsible for coordinating federal disaster response and distributing billions in aid to communities in crisis.

Hamilton was hired as the interim director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by President Donald Trump’s administration. He was appointed to the role in January 2025, at the start of Trump’s second term, following his prior service as Director of the Emergency Medical Services Division at the Department of Homeland Security.

Hamilton was summoned to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he was terminated by Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski. Shortly after, Hamilton returned to FEMA headquarters to collect his belongings, and his biography was removed from the agency’s website.

The official announcement came just one day after Hamilton testified before Congress, where he contradicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s statements about potentially abolishing FEMA.

During his testimony, Hamilton stated, “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” directly challenging the administration’s stance. His remarks came as President Trump and Secretary Noem have repeatedly called for FEMA to be downsized or dismantled, arguing that disaster response should be handled primarily by states.

The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of FEMA employees and halted disaster preparedness grant programs.

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has refused to provide federal FEMA funds for several natural disasters.

Key Instances of Denied FEMA Aid:

• Washington State Bomb Cyclone (November 2024): Washington’s request for a major disaster declaration after a destructive bomb-cyclone windstorm was denied by the Trump administration, despite state and FEMA estimates showing $34 million in damages-well above the federal threshold for assistance.
• Arkansas Tornadoes (March 2025): Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican and Trump ally, had her request for both individual and public FEMA assistance denied after severe storms and tornadoes devastated rural communities, causing fatalities and significant property loss. Sanders and the entire Arkansas congressional delegation have appealed the decision.
• Virginia Flooding (April 2025): While President Trump approved a disaster declaration for Virginia following major flooding, he took the unusual step of denying the state’s request for hazard-mitigation funding. This marked the first time in at least 27 years that a president approved disaster aid but withheld mitigation funds, which are critical for rebuilding infrastructure to withstand future disasters.
• North Carolina Hurricane Helene Recovery: The Trump administration informed North Carolina that it would not fully reimburse the state for expenses related to Hurricane Helene recovery, reducing the federal cost share and leaving many communities waiting for funds to cover damages from the 2024 hurricane.

The administration has not only denied outright disaster declarations but also slowed or withheld FEMA funding for states, particularly those led by Democratic governors. 

David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer and the assistant secretary for DHS’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, has been appointed as the new acting FEMA administrator. Richardson lacks experience in disaster management, raising concerns among emergency management professionals about FEMA’s preparedness for the upcoming hurricane and wildfire seasons.