President Donald Trump has nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), marking a notable return for the former Navy SEAL who was previously removed from the agency’s acting leadership role after defending its continued existence.
Hamilton’s nomination was announced on Monday and comes amid a shift in tone from the Trump administration, which had earlier suggested plans to dismantle FEMA but now appears to be stepping back from that position. His selection is being viewed as part of a broader reassessment of the agency’s future.
If confirmed by the Senate, Hamilton would serve as the principal adviser to Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency management matters and become FEMA’s first permanent administrator under Trump’s second term. The agency has already seen multiple temporary leaders since early 2025, including Hamilton’s brief stint from January to May of that year.
The nomination also comes as FEMA continues to deal with internal strain, including staff reductions, operational disruptions, and a prolonged Department of Homeland Security shutdown that lasted 75 days and ended on April 30.
Hamilton would be tasked with preparing the agency for the upcoming summer disaster season while also implementing reforms expected from a recent advisory council set up by Trump.
“Now is the opportunity to stabilize FEMA,” said Michael Coen, who previously served as FEMA chief of staff under the Obama and Biden administrations.
Hamilton’s earlier tenure was controversial, as he had no prior experience leading state or local emergency management agencies and had previously questioned FEMA’s role. Tensions escalated when discussions within the administration shifted toward eliminating the agency altogether.
“Once the conversation shifted to, ‘Now we’re going to abolish,’ I immediately expressed concern,” Hamilton said last September on the Disaster Tough podcast with John Scardena, a former FEMA incident management team leader.
Despite earlier uncertainty around FEMA’s future, Hamilton’s nomination signals a possible consolidation of the agency’s structure rather than its dissolution.
