WASHINGTON — Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of FEMA, was fired on May 8, just three weeks before the start of hurricane season and amid growing budget scrutiny from Congress, Politico reported.
The dismissal came one day after Hamilton testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee, where he publicly pushed back against efforts by President Donald Trump to eliminate or downsize the agency.
“I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton said during the hearing.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that David Richardson will immediately replace Hamilton. She declined to provide a reason for Hamilton’s removal, adding that it is “at the discretion of Secretary Kristi Noem to choose the personnel she prefers.”
CNN also reported that Hamilton had recently been subjected to a polygraph test after attending a closed-door meeting about FEMA’s future — part of a broader effort that has included lie detector tests for at least a dozen FEMA officials, reportedly tied to concerns about media leaks.
Trump and Noem have repeatedly criticized FEMA, describing the agency as partisan and inefficient.
Hamilton is a longtime public servant whose background includes distinguished service in the U.S. Navy and multiple roles in the federal government. A fourth-generation service member, Hamilton enlisted in the Navy in 2005 as a Hospital Corpsman during the Global War on Terror. He served with SEAL Team Eight for four overseas deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, including two combat tours in Afghanistan.
Following his military service, Hamilton joined the U.S. Department of State, where he supported crisis response teams and the Bureau of Counterterrorism. He was later recruited by the Department of Homeland Security to serve as Director of the Emergency Medical Services Division. In that role, he oversaw nearly 4,000 EMTs, first responders and operational medical programs designed to safeguard the homeland. His work included developing all-hazard response plans for chemical, biological and radiological terrorism events.
