Washington — David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is leaving his post, according to five current and former homeland security officials familiar with the decision. Richardson submitted his resignation Monday morning, the officials said.
He served as FEMA’s “Senior Official Performing the Duties” of administrator since May 8, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly removed his predecessor, Cameron Hamilton. Before leading FEMA, Richardson was assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
From the outset, Richardson’s leadership style garnered attention. In his first all-hands meeting he told agency staff: “Don’t get in my way … I will run right over you,” and declared, “I and I alone speak for FEMA.”
CBS News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Richardson’s resignation comes amid mounting criticism over FEMA’s response to the devastating Ccentral Texas floods in July, which claimed more than 130 lives, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River. Richardson was sharply criticized – including by lawmakers on Capitol Hill – for being inaccessible during the crisis, with FEMA officials telling CBS News that the acting administrator was unreachable for hours, complicating efforts to deploy search-and-rescue teams.
At a congressional hearing in July, Richardson defended FEMA’s performance as a “model” of disaster response, disputing reports of delayed deployments and unanswered calls. He also denied there were lapses in contracts for FEMA’s disaster help line.
In one widely reported gaffe, Richardson also told colleagues he was unaware the U.S. has a hurricane season — comments sources say raised serious concerns among seasoned emergency managers.
Critics—including current and former FEMA employees—have also pointed to bureaucratic bottlenecks under Noem’s leadership, including a directive that any expenditure over $100,000 require the DHS secretary’s personal sign-off.
Richardson’s resignation lands at roughly the same time that the FEMA Review Council is expected to deliver a sweeping report to the president, outlining recommendations to restructure and reshape the agency. The council’s work was ordered by the White House to conduct a comprehensive assessment of FEMA’s performance during the Biden administration and deliver a formal report to the president in November. President Trump has repeatedly signaled that FEMA “should be eliminated as it exists,” with Noem directing the council not merely to evaluate the agency but to fundamentally “reimagine” it.