Kristi Noem has fired the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency just one day after speaking out against Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate FEMA.
Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who held the job for the last few months, testified on Capitol Hill that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle an organization that helps plan for natural disasters and distributes financial assistance.
Noem fired him a day later, just weeks before the start of hurricane season, as Hamilton pushed out and replaced by another official from the Department of Homeland Security.
Donald Trump believes that individual states, not the federal government, should take the lead on hurricanes, tornadoes and other crises. He has been sharply critical of FEMA’s performance, particularly in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
The abrupt change came the day after Hamilton’s testimony in Washington where he spoke out against this.
‘I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,’ Hamilton said.
David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, will run FEMA for the time being.
He does not appear to have any experience in managing natural disasters.
Kristi Noem has fired the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency just one day after speaking out against Donald Trump’s plan to eliminate FEMA
Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who held the job for the last few months, testified on Capitol Hill that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle an organization that helps plan for natural disasters and distributes financial assistance
Richardson currently serves as the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction.
The administration made no statement about any potential permanent nominee.
Nor did the White House answer questions about Richardson’s background, the impact of Hamilton’s testimony or whether the president personally ordered his dismissal.
An administration official, who requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter, said Hamilton was offered another government job that would be a better fit for him, but did not say what that job would be.
FEMA staff were notified of the change in leadership through a brief email.
Through a January executive order, Trump established a review council tasked with ‘reforming and streamlining the nation´s emergency management and disaster response system,’ according to Homeland Security.
The 13-member council is chaired by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During Hamilton’s appearance before a House Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday, he shared concerns about how FEMA assistance is administered.
Noem fired him a day later, just weeks before the start of hurricane season, as Hamilton pushed out and replaced by another official from the Department of Homeland Security
David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan , Iraq and Africa, will run FEMA for the time being
He also said the agency had ‘evolved into an overextended federal bureaucracy, attempting to manage every type of emergency no matter how minor.’
But when Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, asked Hamilton how he felt about plans to eliminate FEMA, Hamilton said he did not believe the agency should be eliminated.
‘Having said that,’ Hamilton continued, ‘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.’
In a statement Thursday afternoon, DeLauro expressed support for Hamilton and accused the Republican president of firing ‘anyone who is not blindly loyal to him.’
‘The Trump administration must explain why he has been removed from this position,’ said DeLauro. ‘Integrity and morality should not cost you your job.’
Hamilton, who briefly caused a controversy during a failed run for Congress when it was revealed his mother is a bestselling author of adult fiction, appeared to be on Noem’s naughty list early on in his term.
He was one of the DHS employees forced by Noem take a polygraph test, and it seems to be working.
The Department of Homeland Security – which 53-year-old Noem runs – has administered around 50 lie detector tests, including at least a dozen FEMA employees, as they continue to try to weed out leakers.
Acting FEMA Administrator Hamilton was among them, although he passed his test, according to CNN.
Last month, it emerged that the department reportedly administered a lie detector test to Hamilton to ensure he had not leaked sensitive information from a meeting he had with one of Trump’s advisors.
The directive had come directly from Noem, who reportedly issued an internal memo ordering her department to administer future polygraphs with a question specifically about unauthorized discussions with journalists and private citizens.
Then in March, the Pentagon announced it was also investigating leaks of information that risked national security.
The department said it would not rule out using lie detectors on employees in the Defense Department, run by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as part of the investigation.
