CAPITOL HILL — President Donald Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's permanent administrator, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump offered Hamilton the position on Wednesday, the person said.

Trump has not officially announced the nomination. FEMA has lacked a permanent administrator throughout Trump's second term and is currently led by its third temporary administrator.

Hamilton previously served as FEMA's acting leader from January to May of last year. He was fired one day after testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee that he did not support proposals to dismantle the agency.

"I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton told members of the subcommittee. He said he wanted to cut wasteful spending and downsize the agency but did not want to dismantle it. Hamilton said his relationship with Department of Homeland Security officials became very hostile during his short tenure at FEMA.

Trump has repeatedly floated proposals to dismantle FEMA and has said he wants to shift more responsibility for disasters to states. He has created a FEMA Review Council, which is expected to propose reforms to how the agency supports communities affected by disasters. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has expressed support for FEMA while calling for reforms. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called to "Eliminate FEMA as it exists today."

Hamilton is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who spent a decade in the service, including four overseas deployments with SEAL Team Eight between 2005 and 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile and a Congressional biography. He later served as a supervisory emergency management specialist at the U.S. Department of State and as the Department of Homeland Security's director of emergency services for several years. Hamilton ran for Congress in Virginia's 7th district in 2024 but lost in the Republican primary.

Federal law requires FEMA's administrator to have a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security and at least five years of executive leadership and management experience. If confirmed, Hamilton would become the principal advisor to the president and the Homeland Security secretary for all matters related to emergency management.