The administration under Trump has dismissed at least three officials from the National Security Council, with additional removals anticipated, according to CBS News, a partner of the BBC in the US.
The reasons behind these dismissals remain unclear; however, CBS suggests the move followed a meeting held on Wednesday between President Donald Trump and far-right activist Laura Loomer at the White House.
Loomer reportedly encouraged Trump to remove certain NSC staff members whom she felt were not sufficiently supportive of the president’s agenda, based on various reports from US media outlets.
The White House informed the BBC that there would be no comments on personnel decisions regarding the National Security Council.
These firings also occur as the NSC addresses a significant scandal from last month when senior officials mistakenly included a journalist in a Signal messaging thread related to military actions in Yemen.
It remains uncertain whether this scandal had any influence on the recent firings. Trump has continued to support the officials linked to the incident, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who allegedly added the journalist to the Signal chat by mistake.
Among those dismissed from the NSC on Thursday are 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, according to CBS News.
In her statement to US media, Loomer mentioned she would refrain from sharing further details about her meeting with Trump “out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office.”
“It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my findings. I will keep working diligently to support his agenda and continue emphasizing the need for rigorous vetting to safeguard the President and our national security,” she stated.
