President Donald Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton, a former U.S. Navy SEAL whom the administration fired as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting leader last year, as FEMA’s permanent administrator, according to a person familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
Hamilton was FEMA\u2019s temporary leader from January to May of last year but was fired one day after testifying on Capitol Hill<\/a> that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle the organization charged with coordinating the federal government’s response to disasters, an idea Trump had repeatedly floated<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,\u201d he told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee. <\/p>\n FEMA has lacked a permanent administrator throughout Trump’s second term and is currently on its third temporary leader, something critics have said undermines<\/a> the agency’s effectiveness.<\/p>\n Trump offered Hamilton the job Wednesday, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times first reported Trump’s intent to nominate Hamilton. <\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s nomination would come at a crucial time for FEMA and as its future remains uncertain. Trump has said he wants to shift more responsibility for disasters to states and has created a FEMA Review Council, expected to propose sweeping reforms to how the agency supports disaster-impacted communities. <\/p>\n Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has expressed support for FEMA<\/a> while calling for reforms, striking a stark contrast from his predecessor Kristi Noem<\/a>, who vowed to “eliminate FEMA as it exists today\u201d and whose dealings with the review council grew fraught<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear how Hamilton would lead FEMA or what Trump expects from his leadership. <\/p>\n Hamilton’s relationship with DHS officials became \u201cvery hostile\u201d during his short tenure at FEMA, he said in a September episode of the podcast \u201cDisaster Tough.\u201d He wanted to cut \u201cwasteful spending\u201d and \u201cdownsize the agency,\u201d he said, but not dismantle it. <\/p>\n Trump has not officially announced the nomination and could change his mind. Hamilton could also face headwinds during the Senate confirmation process over never having served as a state emergency management director. <\/p>\n Federal law requires FEMA\u2019s administrator to have \u201ca demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security\u201d and no less than five years of executive leadership and management experience. If confirmed, he would become the principal advisor to the president and the Homeland Security secretary for all matters related to emergency management. <\/p>\n Hamilton spent a decade in the U.S. Navy Seals, serving on Seal Team Eight for four overseas deployments between 2005 and 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile and a Congressional bio. <\/p>\n He then served as a supervisory emergency management specialist at the U.S. State Department and as the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s director of emergency services for several years.<\/p>\n Hamilton ran for Congress in Virginia\u2019s 7th district in 2024 but lost in the Republican primary.<\/p>\n In a LinkedIn post earlier this month marking 47 years since FEMA\u2019s establishment, Hamilton said he was grateful to have served under Trump and alongside FEMA colleagues. \u201cI wish my tenure had been longer,\u201d he wrote, \u201cas there is still much more work to do for reform.\u201d<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. 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