Acting FEMA Administrator Is Out, Injecting Uncertainty at Agency in Limbo

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/climate/fema-david-richardson.html

Acting FEMA Administrator Is Out, Injecting Uncertainty at Agency in Limbo
David Richardson had been on the job for six months. FEMA employees questioned his ability to lead the agency.
By Scott Dance and Maxine Joselow
Nov. 17, 2025 Updated 2:09 p.m. ET

David Richardson has resigned as acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to three people briefed on the matter.

Mr. Richardson’s resignation was first reported by The Washington Post. Representatives for FEMA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The people briefed on the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Mr. Richardson, who served in the Marines, was named to the role of acting FEMA administrator in May, replacing Cameron Hamilton, who was pushed out a day after telling members of Congress that FEMA was vital to communities “in their greatest times of need” and should not be eliminated.

Mr. Richardson lacked a background in emergency management, which is a legal requirement for the FEMA administrator. When he was tapped for FEMA, Mr. Richardson was the assistant secretary at the Homeland Security Department’s office for countering weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Richardson maintained both jobs.

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