Tensions had been brewing. Hamilton reportedly clashed with Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—especially over FEMA funding for NYC migrants. A leak from a private meeting where Noem proposed gutting FEMA triggered polygraph tests for staff, including Hamilton. He passed, but suspicions lingered.

Though originally a Trump appointee, Hamilton had grown more supportive of FEMA’s mission. His stance and praise for staff may have hastened his removal. On May 8, he was officially fired and replaced by David Richardson, a Marine veteran with no emergency management experience—just weeks before hurricane season.