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In a dramatic shake-up at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton was abruptly dismissed after publicly challenging the Trump administration’s plan to potentially dismantle FEMA. The firing came less than 24 hours after Hamilton testified before Congress, where he firmly opposed the administration’s growing calls to transfer emergency management responsibilities from the federal government to the states.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL and seasoned emergency response official, told a House Appropriations subcommittee that FEMA remained an “essential national asset” and warned that eliminating it would pose serious risks to public safety. His statement contradicted recent comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who had floated the idea of phasing out the agency entirely. President Trump reinforced that notion days earlier, declaring during a visit to North Carolina that he planned to sign an executive order to “fundamentally reform—or maybe even get rid of—FEMA.”
On the morning following his testimony, Hamilton was called to the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters, where he was officially relieved of duty by Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar and senior Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski. FEMA later confirmed his removal in a terse statement, naming David Richardson as the new acting head of the agency. No official reason was given, but insiders pointed directly to Hamilton’s defiant remarks as the catalyst.
The Trump administration’s push to overhaul FEMA stems from long-held frustrations with what it views as federal inefficiencies. Trump has increasingly argued that states should lead disaster responses, claiming they can do so faster and at half the cost. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes, the hurricanes, and all of the other things,” Trump said. “We’ll save billions, and it’ll be more effective.”
Hamilton’s firing coincided with another FEMA scandal that has drawn widespread attention. DHS confirmed that four FEMA officials were also dismissed for approving $59 million in payments to luxury hotels in New York to house undocumented immigrants—funds that critics, including Elon Musk, said should have been reserved for American disaster victims. “A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds,” Musk posted on X.
The leadership change has sparked a flurry of bipartisan debate. Democrats praised Hamilton’s testimony as courageous and condemned his firing as retaliation. “We need FEMA now more than ever,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Some Republicans voiced support for decentralizing disaster management but expressed concern over completely dismantling FEMA without a strong replacement framework.
As David Richardson steps in, the agency finds itself at a crossroads, caught between reform and survival amid one of the most consequential federal shakeups in emergency management history.
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