Trump is expected to nominate Cameron Hamilton as the permanent administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly.
The person said Trump offered Hamilton the job on Wednesday, and noted that the New York Times first reported the intent. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hamilton is not new to FEMA, having served as the agency’s temporary administrator from January to May last year. The administration fired him one day after he testified on Capitol Hill that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle FEMA, the federal agency responsible for coordinating the government’s response to disasters.
In that testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee, Hamilton said, “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” The person familiar with the matter said the testifying episode and the subsequent firing were closely linked.
During Trump’s second term, FEMA has lacked a permanent administrator, a situation critics have said can undermine the agency’s effectiveness. The person said FEMA is currently on its third temporary leader, underscoring the ongoing leadership gap.
The timing of a Hamilton nomination would also place him in the midst of the administration’s broader agenda for how disaster response should work. Trump has said he wants to shift more responsibility for disasters to states, and he has created a FEMA Review Council that is expected to propose sweeping reforms to how the agency supports disaster-impacted communities.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has expressed support for FEMA while calling for reforms, according to the person familiar with the matter. The person contrasted that stance with Mullin’s predecessor Kristi Noem, who had vowed to “eliminate FEMA as it exists today,” and whose dealings with the review council were described as growing fraught.
It remains unclear how Hamilton would lead FEMA or what Trump expects from his tenure, the person said. During a September episode of the podcast “Disaster Tough,” Hamilton said his relationship with DHS officials became “very hostile” during his short stint at FEMA and that he wanted to cut “wasteful spending” and “downsize the agency,” but not dismantle it.
The nomination would also face potential friction during the Senate confirmation process, including questions about Hamilton’s experience, since he has not served as a state emergency management director. Federal law requires the FEMA administrator to have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security,” as well as at least five years of executive leadership and management experience.
Hamilton spent a decade in the U.S. Navy SEALs, serving on Seal Team Eight for four overseas deployments between 2005 and 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile and a congressional bio. After leaving the Navy, he worked as a supervisory emergency management specialist at the U.S. State Department and as the Department of Homeland Security’s director of emergency services for several years.
Hamilton also ran for Congress in Virginia’s 7th district in 2024 but lost in the Republican primary. In a LinkedIn post earlier this month marking 47 years since FEMA’s establishment, Hamilton wrote that he was grateful to have served under Trump and alongside FEMA colleagues, and he added, “I wish my tenure had been longer,” saying “as there is still much more work to do for reform.”
It was also unclear whether Trump will finalize the nomination, since he has not officially announced it and could change his mind, the person familiar with the matter said.