Trump Replaces FEMA Head Amid Agency Reform Debate \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ FEMA’s acting administrator Cameron Hamilton was removed weeks ahead of hurricane season, following his public disagreement with plans to dismantle the agency. Trump replaced him with David Richardson, a DHS official with no disaster management background, triggering backlash from lawmakers.
Quick Looks
- Acting FEMA chief Cameron Hamilton removed just before hurricane season begins.
- His ouster followed testimony opposing plans to eliminate FEMA.
- President Trump has proposed shifting emergency response to state control.
- New acting head David Richardson lacks disaster management experience.
- Lawmakers raise concerns about the timing and political motivations.
- FEMA staff were informed of the leadership change via internal email.
- Hamilton had described FEMA as an “overextended bureaucracy” but defended its core mission.
- A newly formed Trump-led review council is assessing emergency response reform.
Deep Look
In a stunning and abrupt shift just weeks before the official start of hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is facing another leadership transition. Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who had served as acting administrator, was removed from his position Thursday — less than 24 hours after he publicly opposed the idea of eliminating the agency during congressional testimony.
Hamilton’s replacement is David Richardson, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary responsible for countering weapons of mass destruction. A former Marine Corps officer with deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, Richardson brings military and security credentials but has no documented background in natural disaster management — an omission that is raising eyebrows as FEMA heads into one of its most critical annual periods.
The shake-up follows a highly public hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee, where Hamilton was asked directly whether he supported dismantling FEMA, a concept increasingly promoted by President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized the agency’s handling of past disasters — particularly in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene — and has suggested that emergency response should be the responsibility of individual states, not the federal government.
“I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told lawmakers during the hearing.
He did, however, express concern that FEMA had become a sprawling and “overextended federal bureaucracy,” responsible for managing crises of every size and scope, which he said detracted from its core mission. Hamilton stopped short of calling for radical reform, instead advocating for a balanced review of FEMA’s structure and resource management.
When pressed further by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) on the administration’s push to dismantle FEMA, Hamilton reiterated his stance, though carefully: “I’m not in a position to make decisions and impact outcomes on whether or not a determination such as consequential as that should be made. That is a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body.”
Within hours, Hamilton was gone.
FEMA staff learned of the leadership change through a short internal email on Thursday. No official statement was made by the Trump administration regarding the reason for the sudden change. However, the timing — immediately following Hamilton’s testimony — has fueled speculation that his removal was politically motivated.
DeLauro, in a statement issued Thursday afternoon, accused the White House of retaliating against Hamilton for his honesty. “The Trump administration must explain why he has been removed from this position,” she said. “Integrity and morality should not cost you your job.”
Richardson, who now assumes the role of acting FEMA administrator, holds a senior post within DHS but has no apparent background in public disaster recovery, emergency preparedness, or coordination with state and local governments — all central to FEMA’s mission. His appointment coincides with the formation of a presidential review council tasked with “reforming and streamlining the nation’s emergency management and disaster response system.”
That initiative, launched by Trump in April, aims to reassess the federal government’s role in disaster response, potentially shifting more authority to states — a vision long championed by fiscal conservatives but challenged by public safety experts and bipartisan lawmakers concerned about consistency and preparedness.
With hurricane season just weeks away, emergency management professionals and elected officials are warning that leadership volatility at FEMA could leave the country vulnerable. FEMA plays a pivotal role in coordinating disaster response, deploying federal resources, and distributing billions in emergency relief following hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and other large-scale crises.
Hamilton’s sudden dismissal now leaves FEMA not only under new, inexperienced leadership but also amid political uncertainty about the agency’s future. Critics warn that the move reflects a broader pattern of replacing qualified leaders with loyalists as the Trump administration gears up for sweeping structural reforms.
Whether FEMA will remain intact or be substantially restructured remains to be seen. For now, one thing is clear: as storm season nears, the nation’s top disaster response agency is navigating its own internal crisis.
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