President Trump has nominated Cameron Hamilton to serve as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who briefly led the agency last year as acting administrator, is set to become the first Senate-confirmed FEMA leader since President Trump assumed office.
The nomination follows a period when FEMA has remained without a confirmed leader. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) praised the selection, stating: “Cam Hamilton is a great pick by President Trump to be FEMA Director. I will move his nomination quickly through our committee.”
The administration’s choice signals its latest effort to overhaul FEMA, aiming to shift disaster response responsibility back to state and local governments while avoiding full agency elimination. A Trump-appointed FEMA task force recently proposed measures limiting federal disaster aid to “truly significant events” and accelerating funding distribution to communities.
Hamilton faces potential opposition from Democrats and critics who cite a 2005 federal law requiring FEMA administrators to have experience leading emergency management operations. His background includes managing emergency medical technicians on the southern border as a Homeland Security Department division director and serving as an emergency management specialist in the State Department, where he supported crisis response teams and counterterrorism efforts.
Hamilton has been one of three temporary FEMA leaders since January 2025. He previously worked as director of business strategy for a defense contractor and ran unsuccessfully for Virginia’s U.S. House seat. His tenure was marked by tension with DHS officials after he publicly criticized the agency, including defending federal support for disaster-impacted states during a May 2024 hearing where Rep. Rosa DeLauro asked if he believed FEMA should be abolished. Hamilton responded: “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” He was dismissed the following day.
FEMA’s workforce has been strained by mass staff departures, operational setbacks from policy changes, and a 75-day DHS shutdown that concluded April 30. Hamilton must prepare the agency for summer disaster season while addressing Trump’s anticipated push for reforms after his recently appointed council recommended sweeping changes. Michael Coen, FEMA’s former chief of staff during both the Obama and Biden administrations, called Hamilton’s nomination “an opportunity to stabilize FEMA.”
Hamilton’s history includes a 2024 podcast appearance with John Scardena, where he expressed concern when discussions shifted toward abolishing FEMA: “Once the conversation shifted to, ‘Now we’re going to abolish,’ I immediately expressed concern.” DHS officials later subjected him to a polygraph test over alleged leaks from a private meeting; Hamilton passed but acknowledged his dismissal was inevitable.