Cameron Hamilton, FEMA's acting administrator, was fired a day after testifying before Congress against dismantling the agency. He was escorted from FEMA headquarters and replaced by David Richardson.
Hamilton's testimony contradicted President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who have repeatedly advocated for FEMA's elimination, citing failures and inefficiencies. Hamilton, however, praised FEMA's workforce and advocated for phased reforms.
The Trump administration has criticized FEMA for partisanship, inefficiency, and the use of “woke” ideologies. Plans to raise the threshold for federal disaster assistance and potentially dismantle FEMA have been discussed.
Hamilton stressed the importance of a gradual, phased approach to reforming FEMA, focusing on building state and local capacity. He highlighted the need to improve antiquated systems and processes to avoid wasteful spending and ensure aid reaches those in genuine need.
Hamilton underwent a lie detector test following a meeting discussing FEMA's future, and this was reported alongside polygraph tests administered to other FEMA officials.