The Trump administration is turning to the former Federal Emergency Management Agency leader it once dismissed, moving to nominate Cameron Hamilton to lead the disaster response agency on a permanent basis after his firing last year.
President Donald Trump plans to nominate Hamilton, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who was briefly FEMA’s acting director in 2025, according to multiple reports.
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Trump reportedly offered Hamilton the role on Wednesday, a move that comes less than a year after Hamilton was removed from the role by then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Hamilton led FEMA from January to May 2025 but was fired one day after telling lawmakers he opposed proposals to dismantle the agency, which coordinated the federal government’s response to natural disasters.
His testimony directly contradicted a broader push within the administration at the time to scale back or eliminate FEMA in favor of shifting responsibilities to states.
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His removal was carried out under Noem, whose tenure was marked by sweeping and controversial proposals to overhaul FEMA, including reducing its role in disaster response. Noem was later fired by Trump in March 2026 after mounting bipartisan criticism over her leadership of DHS.
Hamilton’s nomination signals a possible shift in approach as the administration seeks to stabilize FEMA, which has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader throughout Trump’s second term.
DHS’s new leader, Markwayne Mullin, has called for both reforms and support for FEMA since taking on the role. Mullin has pushed for changes within the agency, such as ensuring aid flows more efficiently and effectively to residents. In his first week, he scrapped a controversial policy governing large federal contracts enacted by his predecessor, Noem.
A former emergency management official at the State Department and DHS, Hamilton meets the statutory requirements for the role through his federal service, though his nomination could face scrutiny in the Senate over his relatively limited experience leading a state or local emergency management agency.
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Under federal law, FEMA’s administrator should have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security” and a minimum of five years of executive leadership and management experience.
The nomination also comes as the administration continues to weigh broader changes to FEMA’s structure. A FEMA Review Council established under Trump has been considering reforms that would shift more disaster responsibilities to states, though Mullin’s less aggressive stance may change that.
