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Karen Evans Named Acting FEMA Chief — Nicknamed "The Terminator" for Agency Cuts

06:13 AM, 11/25/2025

Karen Evans will take over FEMA on Dec. 1 as the third leader in ten months and will serve without Senate confirmation. Known internally as "The Terminator" for aggressive cuts to grants, contracts and positions, she earned a reputation as DHS's "final gatekeeper." Supporters credit her with improving efficiency; critics fear her appointment could hasten efforts to shrink FEMA and shift disaster response to states. Controversies include alleged cuts to Muslim organizations' grants and a spending sign-off rule blamed for delaying flood relief.

Karen Evans will assume leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Dec. 1 as the third official to run the agency in ten months. Appointed as the "Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator," Evans can lead FEMA without Senate confirmation.

Background

Evans is a longtime federal civil servant whose recent role at the Department of Homeland Security involved identifying and cutting perceived waste and overseeing funding requests. According to reporting by Gabe Cohen, she earned a reputation as the department's "final gatekeeper" and was nicknamed "The Terminator" for frequently terminating grants, contracts and positions.

Controversies and Concerns

Supporters say Evans brought discipline and efficiency to DHS spending. Critics worry her appointment signals an acceleration of efforts to shrink FEMA and shift disaster responsibilities from the federal level to state governments. Reporting has tied Evans to several disputes, including allegations that she pushed to remove grant funding from Muslim organizations and to a policy requiring departmental sign-off on all spending over $100,000 — a rule that some say delayed flood-relief efforts in Texas this summer.

"She’s the enforcer for DHS," a source said. "Her job was to effectively grind FEMA to a halt."

Leadership Turnover

Evans succeeds David Richardson, who resigned after six months. Richardson’s predecessor, Cameron Hamilton, was dismissed after opposing broader plans to reduce FEMA’s role. The rapid turnover underscores tensions inside the administration over the agency’s future.

What to Watch

Observers will be watching how Evans balances efficiency drives with the practical demands of emergency response, whether she changes grant and contracting priorities, and how state and local officials respond if more disaster responsibilities are shifted away from the federal government. Evans and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on her appointment.

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Karen Evans Named Acting FEMA Chief — Nicknamed "The Terminator" for Agency Cuts - CRBC News