He questioned: ‘What the hell is going on with FEMA?!’ Now, he leads the agency.
Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton reiterated incorrect claims that FEMA directed disaster aid towards migrants while hindering assistance to North Carolina.
TroibNews 
The individual appointed by President Donald Trump to oversee federal disaster operations has been associated with the spread of misinformation regarding the agency he now leads.
Cameron Hamilton took over as acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on January 22. He has reportedly embraced misleading narratives from Republican circles, including claims that FEMA “depleted” its disaster aid to assist migrants and blocked supplies to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. This information comes from a review conducted by PMG’s E&E News of Hamilton's past statements.
E&E News analyzed over 1,000 posts by Hamilton on X and reviewed numerous interviews he conducted with conservative media outlets. The findings indicate that Trump, who has suggested dismantling FEMA, has entrusted the essential agency to someone who resonates with the president’s own often-misleading criticisms.
In addition to promoting incorrect charges against FEMA, Hamilton has posted extensively about political subjects, international matters, and national security, including derogatory comments about diversity, equity, and inclusion; dismissing Trump’s hush-money conviction as a “sham”; and sharing an unflattering image of former U.S. health official Rachel Levine, who is transgender.
During early October, amid severe riverine flooding in western North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene, Hamilton inaccurately criticized FEMA’s performance under the Biden administration. One of his posts reiterated false claims that FEMA had diverted $1 billion in disaster aid to assist “illegals” entering the U.S. from Mexico. FEMA clarified that this sum was allocated by Congress specifically to aid detained migrants.
A subsequent post echoed Elon Musk’s incorrect assertion that FEMA was “blocking shipments and seizing goods” intended for North Carolina.
Hamilton continued his critiques in January, posting “What the hell is going on with FEMA?!” above a Fox News headline covering the agency’s actions regarding temporary housing for Helene survivors in North Carolina.
Representative Rick Larsen of Washington, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, condemned Hamilton in a statement to E&E News, branding him “someone who spreads conspiracy theories about [FEMA workers] online.”
Hamilton's leadership comes at a challenging time for FEMA, which is grappling with a surge in major disasters and escalating costs linked to climate change, such as intensified flooding, storms, and wildfires.
During a January 24 visit to western North Carolina, Trump criticized FEMA and issued an executive order to form a council examining the agency.
As acting leader, Hamilton is not subject to the legal requirement that the FEMA administrator obtain Senate confirmation or demonstrate competence in emergency management and homeland security. Former agency officials expressed to E&E News their expectation that Hamilton may remain in this acting role for an extended period, potentially up to four years.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, worked at the Department of Homeland Security from 2020 to 2023 as director of emergency medical services and served as a State Department supervisory emergency management specialist from 2015 to 2020. Since Congress enacted job requirements for FEMA following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, presidents have typically appointed experienced emergency managers to lead the agency.
Samantha Montano, a disaster researcher and emergency management professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, criticized Hamilton’s qualifications, asserting, “He’s completely unqualified to be the head of FEMA right now,” and noted that he lacks comprehension of how FEMA’s budget operates.
The White House and FEMA's press office did not comment on Hamilton, who has remained silent publicly since his appointment shortly after Trump’s inauguration.
Since assuming the helm at FEMA, Hamilton has utilized his new FEMA account on X to communicate to hurricane survivors, stating, “you are not forgotten,” and promising that “real change is coming to FEMA.” He expressed a commitment to visibility and operational improvement in a post on January 26, stating, “I will prioritize enhancing FEMA's operational focus and ensuring transparency.”
As a lifelong public servant, Hamilton conveyed his admiration for FEMA’s mission of assisting people affected by disasters in a separate post on X.
Prior to leading FEMA, Hamilton was active in politics and advocacy on social media and created an X account before running for a Virginia congressional seat in 2024. Endorsed by the House Freedom Caucus, he described himself as a “MAGA candidate” and characterized his campaign as a stance for a “firm constitutional conservative” perspective advocating limited government.
Hamilton's congressional bid was unsuccessful, and the seat is now held by newly elected Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman.
During his campaign, Hamilton garnered support from Rep. Chip Roy, who asserted that Hamilton would “fight the swamp,” and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan.
Homan added, “He knows how to secure the border. He has committed to securing the border,” referring to Hamilton, who is currently dubbed Trump’s “border czar.”
Following his loss in the Republican primary in June, Hamilton shifted the focus of his X account from campaigning to promoting his conservative viewpoints and appearances on conservative platforms like Fox News, NTD News, and Real America’s Voice.
In discussions surrounding politics, international relations, and national security, Hamilton has presented himself as knowledgeable, insightful, and occasionally humorous. In one instance, he remarked on actor Mark Hamill’s donation to Vindman and humorously referenced Luke Skywalker.
In September, Hamilton became vice president of Feds for Freedom, a nonprofit that has taken legal action against the Biden administration over vaccine mandates and previously vowed to sue the federal government “over mandated pronouns.” The organization has supported a Virginia militia and sought to terminate taxpayer funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Hamilton has also echoed sentiments regarding emergency responses, sharing a clip in which actor Zachary Levi criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's management of wildfires, calling it “criminally negligent.”
Trump has previously expressed criticism of Newsom. E&E News highlighted that in 2020, Trump hesitated to approve a disaster funding request from Newsom until informed that the damaging wildfire had impacted areas with strong Republican constituencies.
Hamilton amassed a following of 21,500 X users by frequently sharing unfounded claims against FEMA.
As Hurricane Helene impacted North Carolina and five other Southeastern states, Hamilton shared a post from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, which inaccurately stated, “Illegals got $1.01B from FEMA that was supposed to/ SHOULD GO to flood victims!” Hamilton responded, “Exactly!! Why aren’t more members of Congress saying this?!”
He subsequently reiterated this falsehood days later, reposting a message from Rep. Eli Crane, who accused Vice President Kamala Harris of having depleted FEMA funds to resettle illegal immigrants.
However, FEMA clarified that the $1.01 billion in question did not come from the disaster recovery fund. It was allocated via a fiscal 2023 spending bill for migrant shelter and services under the specific context of addressing those detained at the southern border.
Around the same timeframe, Hamilton shared another misleading post from Musk, who made untrue claims regarding FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene devastation in North Carolina.
Musk alleged, “FEMA is actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally,” which Hamilton amplified, stating, “If this is true, the public officials doing this should go to jail... Change my mind…”
In response, FEMA’s website refuted such “rumors,” clarifying that the agency was not “turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating and seizing supplies,” emphasizing that these claims were entirely false. A North Carolina television station labeled Musk’s assertion about Starlink service as “false.”
On Monday, Hamilton utilized his personal X account to criticize North Carolina’s state treasurer for not releasing $100 million approved by the state legislature to help local governments recover from Hurricane Helene. The treasurer, Republican Bradford Briner, was elected in November and assumed office in early January.
Montano noted the increasing professionalization of the emergency management field in recent years, commenting, “When you look at Hamilton's background, the foundation of understanding how emergency management operates just isn't there.”
Hamilton has also expressed opinions on various culture-war matters that resonate with Trump and his supporters, including his recent labeling of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as Marxist.
In an October podcast for Feds for Freedom, he and guest Matthew Lohmeier defended Joseph McCarthy, the late Wisconsin senator whose aggressive investigations into alleged communist influences in government led to his censure in the 1950s. Lohmeier criticized McCarthy's detractors who deemed him “totally wrong,” asserting, “He wasn’t, by the way.”
Hamilton concurred, stating, “No, he was not,” and further argued that “A lot of his concern was just that, hey, you’ve got people with a radical ideology that have infiltrated our government at various different levels. That’s the premise of what he was arguing. History has proven that to be categorically true.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Cameron Hamilton took over as acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on January 22. He has reportedly embraced misleading narratives from Republican circles, including claims that FEMA “depleted” its disaster aid to assist migrants and blocked supplies to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. This information comes from a review conducted by PMG’s E&E News of Hamilton's past statements.
E&E News analyzed over 1,000 posts by Hamilton on X and reviewed numerous interviews he conducted with conservative media outlets. The findings indicate that Trump, who has suggested dismantling FEMA, has entrusted the essential agency to someone who resonates with the president’s own often-misleading criticisms.
In addition to promoting incorrect charges against FEMA, Hamilton has posted extensively about political subjects, international matters, and national security, including derogatory comments about diversity, equity, and inclusion; dismissing Trump’s hush-money conviction as a “sham”; and sharing an unflattering image of former U.S. health official Rachel Levine, who is transgender.
During early October, amid severe riverine flooding in western North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene, Hamilton inaccurately criticized FEMA’s performance under the Biden administration. One of his posts reiterated false claims that FEMA had diverted $1 billion in disaster aid to assist “illegals” entering the U.S. from Mexico. FEMA clarified that this sum was allocated by Congress specifically to aid detained migrants.
A subsequent post echoed Elon Musk’s incorrect assertion that FEMA was “blocking shipments and seizing goods” intended for North Carolina.
Hamilton continued his critiques in January, posting “What the hell is going on with FEMA?!” above a Fox News headline covering the agency’s actions regarding temporary housing for Helene survivors in North Carolina.
Representative Rick Larsen of Washington, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, condemned Hamilton in a statement to E&E News, branding him “someone who spreads conspiracy theories about [FEMA workers] online.”
Hamilton's leadership comes at a challenging time for FEMA, which is grappling with a surge in major disasters and escalating costs linked to climate change, such as intensified flooding, storms, and wildfires.
During a January 24 visit to western North Carolina, Trump criticized FEMA and issued an executive order to form a council examining the agency.
As acting leader, Hamilton is not subject to the legal requirement that the FEMA administrator obtain Senate confirmation or demonstrate competence in emergency management and homeland security. Former agency officials expressed to E&E News their expectation that Hamilton may remain in this acting role for an extended period, potentially up to four years.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, worked at the Department of Homeland Security from 2020 to 2023 as director of emergency medical services and served as a State Department supervisory emergency management specialist from 2015 to 2020. Since Congress enacted job requirements for FEMA following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, presidents have typically appointed experienced emergency managers to lead the agency.
Samantha Montano, a disaster researcher and emergency management professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, criticized Hamilton’s qualifications, asserting, “He’s completely unqualified to be the head of FEMA right now,” and noted that he lacks comprehension of how FEMA’s budget operates.
The White House and FEMA's press office did not comment on Hamilton, who has remained silent publicly since his appointment shortly after Trump’s inauguration.
Since assuming the helm at FEMA, Hamilton has utilized his new FEMA account on X to communicate to hurricane survivors, stating, “you are not forgotten,” and promising that “real change is coming to FEMA.” He expressed a commitment to visibility and operational improvement in a post on January 26, stating, “I will prioritize enhancing FEMA's operational focus and ensuring transparency.”
As a lifelong public servant, Hamilton conveyed his admiration for FEMA’s mission of assisting people affected by disasters in a separate post on X.
Prior to leading FEMA, Hamilton was active in politics and advocacy on social media and created an X account before running for a Virginia congressional seat in 2024. Endorsed by the House Freedom Caucus, he described himself as a “MAGA candidate” and characterized his campaign as a stance for a “firm constitutional conservative” perspective advocating limited government.
Hamilton's congressional bid was unsuccessful, and the seat is now held by newly elected Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman.
During his campaign, Hamilton garnered support from Rep. Chip Roy, who asserted that Hamilton would “fight the swamp,” and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan.
Homan added, “He knows how to secure the border. He has committed to securing the border,” referring to Hamilton, who is currently dubbed Trump’s “border czar.”
Following his loss in the Republican primary in June, Hamilton shifted the focus of his X account from campaigning to promoting his conservative viewpoints and appearances on conservative platforms like Fox News, NTD News, and Real America’s Voice.
In discussions surrounding politics, international relations, and national security, Hamilton has presented himself as knowledgeable, insightful, and occasionally humorous. In one instance, he remarked on actor Mark Hamill’s donation to Vindman and humorously referenced Luke Skywalker.
In September, Hamilton became vice president of Feds for Freedom, a nonprofit that has taken legal action against the Biden administration over vaccine mandates and previously vowed to sue the federal government “over mandated pronouns.” The organization has supported a Virginia militia and sought to terminate taxpayer funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Hamilton has also echoed sentiments regarding emergency responses, sharing a clip in which actor Zachary Levi criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's management of wildfires, calling it “criminally negligent.”
Trump has previously expressed criticism of Newsom. E&E News highlighted that in 2020, Trump hesitated to approve a disaster funding request from Newsom until informed that the damaging wildfire had impacted areas with strong Republican constituencies.
Hamilton amassed a following of 21,500 X users by frequently sharing unfounded claims against FEMA.
As Hurricane Helene impacted North Carolina and five other Southeastern states, Hamilton shared a post from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, which inaccurately stated, “Illegals got $1.01B from FEMA that was supposed to/ SHOULD GO to flood victims!” Hamilton responded, “Exactly!! Why aren’t more members of Congress saying this?!”
He subsequently reiterated this falsehood days later, reposting a message from Rep. Eli Crane, who accused Vice President Kamala Harris of having depleted FEMA funds to resettle illegal immigrants.
However, FEMA clarified that the $1.01 billion in question did not come from the disaster recovery fund. It was allocated via a fiscal 2023 spending bill for migrant shelter and services under the specific context of addressing those detained at the southern border.
Around the same timeframe, Hamilton shared another misleading post from Musk, who made untrue claims regarding FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene devastation in North Carolina.
Musk alleged, “FEMA is actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally,” which Hamilton amplified, stating, “If this is true, the public officials doing this should go to jail... Change my mind…”
In response, FEMA’s website refuted such “rumors,” clarifying that the agency was not “turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating and seizing supplies,” emphasizing that these claims were entirely false. A North Carolina television station labeled Musk’s assertion about Starlink service as “false.”
On Monday, Hamilton utilized his personal X account to criticize North Carolina’s state treasurer for not releasing $100 million approved by the state legislature to help local governments recover from Hurricane Helene. The treasurer, Republican Bradford Briner, was elected in November and assumed office in early January.
Montano noted the increasing professionalization of the emergency management field in recent years, commenting, “When you look at Hamilton's background, the foundation of understanding how emergency management operates just isn't there.”
Hamilton has also expressed opinions on various culture-war matters that resonate with Trump and his supporters, including his recent labeling of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as Marxist.
In an October podcast for Feds for Freedom, he and guest Matthew Lohmeier defended Joseph McCarthy, the late Wisconsin senator whose aggressive investigations into alleged communist influences in government led to his censure in the 1950s. Lohmeier criticized McCarthy's detractors who deemed him “totally wrong,” asserting, “He wasn’t, by the way.”
Hamilton concurred, stating, “No, he was not,” and further argued that “A lot of his concern was just that, hey, you’ve got people with a radical ideology that have infiltrated our government at various different levels. That’s the premise of what he was arguing. History has proven that to be categorically true.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
