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Published 23 days ago • loading... • Updated 21 days ago
Less than a year after being fired, former FEMA chief is set to be reinstalled by Trump
The move comes as FEMA lacks a permanent leader and the administration weighs reforms after cutting roughly 30% of the workforce, officials said.
President Donald Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency less than a year after his abrupt firing, three people familiar with the decision told CNN.
Hamilton was ousted last May after publicly opposing the administration's plan to dismantle FEMA during Capitol Hill testimony, directly clashing with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Noem's prior overhaul cut roughly 30% of FEMA's workforce and triggered nationwide backlash from state officials and Republican lawmakers over the resulting multibillion-dollar funding backlog.
Under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the administration has begun rolling back Noem-era policies and adopting a more supportive tone toward FEMA while awaiting a report from the FEMA Review Council.
First thrown out, now at the top again: Donald Trump brings Cameron Hamilton back surprisingly as FEMA chief – and thus sends a clear signal against his former confidant and former minister Kristi Noem.