President Trump has nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency after previously removing him from the agency’s top post.
If confirmed, Hamilton would serve as Trump’s principal adviser on emergency management alongside Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and become FEMA’s first permanent administrator of Trump’s second term. The agency has cycled through three interim leaders since January 2025.
Hamilton briefly served as acting FEMA chief earlier this year before being dismissed in May following internal disputes over the agency’s future, including his opposition to eliminating FEMA. His firing came one day after he told a House Appropriations subcommittee that he did not support abolishing the agency, amid Trump’s public consideration of dismantling it.
Hamilton has called for major reforms rather than elimination, arguing FEMA should operate more efficiently, shed responsibilities he views as outside its mission, and reduce state reliance on federal assistance. A Trump-appointed council recently recommended sweeping structural changes to the agency that would require congressional approval.
A former Navy hospital corpsman and SEAL Team Eight member, Hamilton later worked in emergency management at the State Department and served in DHS overseeing emergency medical services.
