Donald Trump added to his firings at the National Security Council by letting go of the director of the National Security Agency Thursday.
Trump axed General Timothy Hough, director of the NSA and US Cyber Command, on Thursday along with his deputy, Wendy Noble.
They will be replaced by US Cyber Command deputy William Hartmann and NSA executive director Sheila Thomas.
Donald Trump’s recent dismissals of staff members occurred following a secretive encounter with Laura Loomer, a prominent figure in far-right conspiracy theories and a vocal supporter of the Make America Great Again movement. Loomer openly expressed joy on social media over the purging of national security personnel as the information became public.
‘NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired,’ she wrote.
During the incident, Loomer claimed that an individual named Haugh had been specifically chosen by General Mark Milley, the former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who had openly criticized Trump, labeling him as inherently fascistic.
‘Why would we want Milley’s hand picked choice for NSA DIRECTOR? We do not,’ she added, saying that this is why Haugh ‘was referred for firing.’
Loomer was baffled that Trump’s vetting team allowed someone so allegedly allied with Biden to serve.
Donald Trump added to his firings at the National Security Council by letting go of the director of the National Security Agency Thursday
Trump’s decisions to terminate individuals were influenced by a covert meeting with Laura Loomer, a prominent figure in far-right ideologies and a devoted MAGA advocate. Loomer took to social media to celebrate the removal of national security officials as details emerged.
‘Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position,’ Loomer said.
She then called Noble Haugh’s ‘Obama-loving protege’ and a follower of anti-Trump former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
Loomer also accused Noble of having allegedly ‘spent her time at the NSA promoting DEI.’
‘Their firings are a blessing for the American people. Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers. Vetting matters!’
The New York Times reported Thursday morning that Loomer visited the Oval Office on Wednesday and pressed for National Security Council (NSC) firings.
CNN said that the firings were directly the result of Trump’s meeting with Loomer, who Trump’s top Congressional ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, had tried to get banished from MAGA months ago.
Greene, the Georgia Republican who also has a history of making controversial statements and pushing conspiracy theories, has been the most prominent MAGA member to publicly attempt to push Loomer out. Loomer, however, has maintained a position in Trump’s orbit.
She also attacked CNN star anchor and senior White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins for wondering why Loomer was allowed in and who gave her clearance.
Trump axed General Timothy Hough (pictured), director of the NSA and US Cyber Command, on Thursday along with his deputy, Wendy Noble
‘President Trump did, Kaitlan. You are incredibly disrespectful to me. You lie about me and my intelligence,’ she wrote.
‘It was President Trump who invited me to the White House to meet with him. Stop making it seem like I snuck into the White House. I was personally invited by President Trump.’
On Air Force One Thursday, Trump denied Loomer had anything to do with the firings but did praise her and said he will sometimes consider her opinion.
‘Laura Loomer is a great patriot. She’s a very strong person,’ Trump said. ‘She’s been in the party a long time, she’s done a good job,’ he later added.
Instead of being behind the firings, the president said that Loomer met with him Wednesday and gave him recommendations on people to hire.
‘And sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody, I listen to everybody, and then I make a decision. But I saw her yesterday. She was at the ceremony. And she’ll always have something to say, usually very constructive,’ Trump said. ‘She recommended certain people for jobs.’
Loomer came to the White House armed with research that purportedly showed some NSC staffers were not loyal enough to the president’s agenda.
‘Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m going to decline on divulging any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump,’ Loomer told DailyMail.com Thursday.
Laura Loomer (left) poses for a photo with President Donald Trump (right) at Mar-a-Lago. Loomer was invited to the Oval Office for a meeting with Trump on Wednesday, despite some in the MAGA movement trying to push her out
‘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 and our national security,’ she added.
Waltz sat in on the meeting and defended members of his team, The Times said.
The axed officials reportedly include Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence who previously worked for now Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Thomas Boodry, Waltz’s former legislative director in Congress who was a senior director for legislative affairs and David Feith, who oversaw technology and national security.
Feith had served in the State Department during Trump’s first term.
‘NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters,’ was the official line from NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes.
Feth had served in the State Department during Trump’s first term.
The NSA is one of the United States’ premier intelligence agencies and uses top-tier, specialized technology and systems to collect and analyze intelligence. The NSC is used by the president to advise him on national security, military, and foreign policy matters.
Cyber Command carries out both offensive and defensive operations and monitors the networks of the Department of Defense.
Laura Loomer, a far right conspiracy theorist and MAGA influencer, celebrated the national security bloodbath she was accused of influencing on social media as the news broke
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz has been publicly supported by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of ‘Signal-gate,’ in which he accidentally added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat about attacking the Houthis in Yemen
Trump, since taking office on January 20, has fired multiple top officials at U.S. agencies and installed loyalists.
Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s effort to cut and streamline the federal government’s workforce, visited the National Security Agency last month to meet Haugh.
The meeting suggested the nation’s spy services won’t escape the billionaire’s scrutiny as he looks to slash spending and personnel across the federal government.
Current and former officials told the Washington Post they did not know the reason for Haugh´s dismissal or Noble´s reassignment.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
Earlier Thursday, DailyMail.com confirmed an Axios report about the sudden terminations elsewhere at the separate National Security Council, which works underneath under-fire advisor Waltz.
The dismissals come after Waltz accidentally added The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where top administration officials were discussing an attack on the Houthis in Yemen.
Trump has publicly supported Waltz, a former Florida congressman, in the aftermath of ‘Signalgate’ despite some White House insiders labeling him a ‘f***ing idiot.’
