The representative manager of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer with the agency. This change comes just a day after he expressed to lawmakers that reducing FEMA was not a wise decision, following proposals from President Donald Trump.
Cameron Hamilton, a former member of the U.S. Navy affiliated with Seal Team 8, had been leading FEMA since January. A FEMA spokesperson confirmed via email that as of today, David Richardson has assumed the role of acting FEMA administrator, indicating that Hamilton is no longer in that position.
Reportedly, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar and Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski informed Hamilton of his dismissal at Homeland Security’s headquarters on Thursday.
Trump, along with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, has shown support for dismantling FEMA, although Hamilton had previously cautioned against this move. During a meeting with the House Appropriations Committee, he stated, “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the American public to remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
A few days into his presidency, Trump had visited North Carolina to oversee the state’s recovery efforts from Hurricane Helen. He had also discussed plans for reforming FEMA, expressing a rather negative view of its effectiveness. “I will also sign an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or removing FEMA,” he told reporters, adding, “Frankly, I don’t think FEMA is good.”
