Trump has been trying to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since he took office. Trump claims that the agency that responds to emergencies — and saves lives– in disasters is ‘woke’ and falsely claims it is ‘misappropriating’ funds.
But when Cameron Hamilton, who was appointed by Trump, broke with the party line and praised FEMA, saying he did not support dismantling the agency, he was quickly fired and escorted out of his office.
Cameron Hamilton
Hamilton repeatedly praised FEMA’s staff – calling them “one of the greatest workforces in the entire federal government” – stressing that his goal is to cut bureaucratic red tape and refocus the agency and its budget on its core mission of delivering assistance to survivors after only the most devastating natural disasters, shifting responsibility for smaller disasters onto the states.
“The (FEMA) workforce is tremendous and amazing, and they do a lot of great work, but there’s also systems and processes that are completely antiquated and have to be improved.” Hamilton said. “FEMA is all too often used by states and public officials as a financial backstop for routine issues that frankly should be handled locally. This misalignment has fostered a culture of dependency, waste, inefficiency, while also delaying crucial aid to Americans who are in genuine need.”
Good for Hamilton for speaking truth to power.