Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s administration has named a fourth acting FEMA administrator as leadership turnover continues at the nation’s disaster response agency.
According to FEMA and reports from Politico’s E&E News, Karen Evans is departing as acting administrator after leading the agency since December. FEMA’s website now lists Robert Fenton Jr., a longtime FEMA official and head of Region 9, as the new acting administrator.
Fenton has worked with FEMA since 1996 and previously served in senior leadership positions during presidential transitions. He is expected to lead the agency until Cameron Hamilton, Trump’s nominee for permanent FEMA administrator, is confirmed by the Senate.
Hamilton previously served as acting FEMA chief earlier in Trump’s second administration before being removed after publicly telling lawmakers he did not support eliminating FEMA. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly fired him shortly after his congressional testimony.
The administration has proposed major changes to FEMA, including reducing some grant programs and shifting more disaster response responsibility to states and local governments. Critics from both parties have questioned the agency’s direction amid hurricane recovery efforts and leadership instability.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis previously argued that internal DHS policies delayed disaster assistance to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
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