WASHINGTON — The acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was replaced on Thursday, a White House official and Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to Spectrum News.
The departure came one day after Cameron Hamilton, a U.S. Navy veteran and a longtime federal emergency response official, testified to Congress that the agency, which has come under intense scrutiny from President Donald Trump and other Republicans, should not be eliminated even if he believed it needed significant reforms. It also comes as the Atlantic hurricane season in the southeast U.S. is weeks away from beginning.
Hamilton, who ran for Congress in Virginia last year as a Republican, was tapped for the role after gaining prominence for his criticisms of FEMA’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
Trump campaigned heavily on criticism of FEMA’s response in North Carolina -- a swing state he ultimately won -- relying on grievances, based both in fact and on misinformation. He has since floated eliminating the agency entirely, which would require action from Congress.
“I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton said on Wednesday in an appearance before a congressional committee. “Having said that, 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.”
David Richardson, the DHS assistant secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, will replace Hamilton in an acting capacity. FEMA is an agency within DHS, which is run by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has also been critical of the agency and said she was going to move to eliminate it during a Cabinet meeting in March. Richardson is a Marine veteran who served briefly in DHS during Trump’s first term.
Politico first reported Hamilton’s removal.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who asked Hamilton the question that prompted his answer on Wednesday, issued a statement praising Hamilton as a "dedicated public servant and a former Navy SEAL."
“President Trump fires anyone who is not blindly loyal to him. Acting Administrator Hamilton has proven his dedication to serving the American people," DeLauro said. "The Trump administration must explain why he has been removed from this position. Integrity and morality should not cost you your job, and if it does, it says more about your employer than it does you."
“I know [Hamilton] and he is a great American, a veteran, and a friend,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on social media. “ He was serving his country AGAIN - ably and honorably - including advocating for FEMA reform that would allow managing through the hurricane season. This is a loss for America.”
Multiple other Republican House members, including Tennessee Rep. Mark Green and Arizona Rep. Eli Crane, praised Hamilton after his testimony on Wednesday.
“I look forward to our continued work,” Hamilton wrote in response to Green on Thursday morning, hours before he was out of a job.
Hamilton did not immediately return a request for comment.