Karen Evans, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has left the disaster relief agency, marking the fourth leadership shake-up under President Trump. An internal memo to FEMA staff on Tuesday confirmed her departure, as first reported by Politico's E&E News.
Evans had led FEMA since December, when she succeeded David Richardson, who resigned in November. Her exit comes amid ongoing instability at the agency, which has seen a revolving door of acting chiefs since Trump took office.
According to FEMA's website, Robert Fenton Jr. has been appointed as the new acting administrator. Fenton has been with FEMA since 1996 and has led the agency's Region 9 office since 2015, overseeing disaster response across nine states and territories on the West Coast and in the Pacific. His biography notes he has previously served as acting FEMA administrator during two presidential transitions.
Fenton will serve in the role until Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL with experience at the State and Homeland Security departments, is confirmed as the permanent FEMA chief. Trump nominated Hamilton for the full-time position on Monday.
Hamilton previously held the acting administrator role during the first few months of the Trump administration, but was fired last May by then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The dismissal came a day after Hamilton told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security that he did not believe FEMA should be abolished. “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” he testified.
In a September interview, Hamilton revealed that Homeland Security officials had ordered him to take a polygraph test in March over suspicions he leaked information about a private FEMA meeting to E&E News and CNN. “When my character started being attacked, and then I was polygraphed, and then I passed, and there was no apology… it became a very hostile relationship,” he said on the “Disaster Tough” podcast.
Trump has been critical of FEMA, suggesting he might issue an executive order to dismantle the agency. While no such order has been signed, his administration's fiscal 2027 budget request proposed cutting $1.3 billion from FEMA's non-disaster grant programs. “The Budget reduces wasteful FEMA grant programs, refocusing the agency on sound emergency management,” the request states.
Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the agency's direction under Noem, whom Trump fired in March and replaced with Markwayne Mullin. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina specifically criticized Noem's policy of reviewing all contracts and grants over $100,000, arguing it hampered disaster relief after Hurricane Helene. Mullin rescinded that policy shortly after taking office.
As FEMA navigates these leadership changes, the agency's role in disaster response remains under scrutiny. For context on broader political dynamics, see coverage of the Nebraska Senate primary and governor primaries, where Trump-backed candidates face tests. Meanwhile, the administration's approach to other agencies is reflected in Trump's appointment of Kyle Diamantas as acting FDA chief.
