Trump Administration Removes National Security Agency Director Amid Broader Staff Changes

According to CBS News, the Trump administration has dismissed General Timothy Haugh from his positions as head of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command.

General Haugh’s removal appears to be part of a larger reorganization involving several top security officials at both the agency and the White House. The exact reasoning behind the dismissal remains unclear.

Democratic leaders have expressed serious concerns about the decision. The development follows a Wednesday meeting between President Donald Trump and political activist Laura Loomer, who reportedly advocated for the removal of specific employees she believed lacked loyalty to the president’s agenda.

Loomer posted on X that General Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, who US media reports were also dismissed, “have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired.”

Before reports of these dismissals, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that his administration would remove staff deemed disloyal: “We’re always going to let go of people—people we don’t like or people that take advantage of or people that may have loyalties to someone else.”

Trump’s comments coincided with reports that at least three other officials at the White House National Security Council (NSC) had been dismissed following the reported meeting with Loomer. The president did not confirm specific names.

When contacted, the National Security Agency directed inquiries about the dismissals to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs. The White House previously stated that the NSC “won’t comment on personnel” matters.

Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—both Democrats—confirmed General Haugh’s dismissal to CBS.

Himes issued a statement expressing that he was “deeply disturbed” by the decision. “I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first — I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this Administration,” he said.

According to CBS reporting, Thursday’s NSC dismissals included Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security.

It remains unclear whether General Haugh and Deputy Noble’s removals were directly connected to the NSC staff changes.

These personnel changes follow a significant controversy last month when NSC senior officials accidentally added a journalist to a Signal messaging thread discussing military operations in Yemen. General Haugh, who was not part of the Signal conversation, testified before Congress last week regarding the security breach.

The precise role of this incident in the recent dismissals is uncertain. President Trump has thus far supported top officials involved in the incident, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who took responsibility for the accidental addition of an Atlantic magazine reporter to the Signal chat.

According to CBS, a source familiar with the situation indicated the Signal incident “opened the door” to scrutinizing staff members perceived as insufficiently aligned with Trump, while Loomer’s visit “sealed the fate” for those who were terminated.

The administration has reportedly been examining outside meetings conducted by national security staff, with some being reprimanded for meeting individuals not considered aligned with the president.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Miami on Thursday, Trump praised Loomer, calling her a “great patriot” and a “very strong person.” He confirmed their meeting, adding, “She makes recommendations… sometimes I listen to those recommendations. I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision.”

When contacted by the BBC, Loomer declined to share details of her Wednesday meeting with Trump, calling it “confidential” and expressing disappointment about leaks from the White House. She provided a statement saying, “It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings. I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of STRONG VETTING for the sake of protecting the President of the United States of America and our national security.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who posted information in the Signal chat, is now subject to an internal review by the Pentagon’s office of the acting inspector general regarding his use of the messaging platform and compliance with department policies.

Inspector general offices routinely conduct independent investigations and audits of federal agencies, including potential security breaches.

Upon returning to office in January, the Trump administration removed many government inspectors general and appointed acting heads of watchdog agencies at the defense, commerce, labor, and health departments.