WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking steps to terminate several officials from the White House National Security Council, acting shortly after a far-right activist urged him to remove staff members she considered inadequate in their commitment to his Make America Great Again agenda, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
Laura Loomer presented her findings to Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, advocating for the dismissals, as disclosed by sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of personnel issues. The meeting included Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Sergio Gor, the head of the Presidential Personnel Office.
NSC spokesman Brian Hughes refrained from commenting on the meeting or the proposed dismissals, emphasizing that the White House does not typically disclose personnel matters.
The Presidential Personnel Office is working to dismiss at least three high-ranking NSC officials along with several lower-ranking aides.
Loomer, known for promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories, was a consistent presence throughout Trump’s successful campaign for the 2024 White House. Recently, she has voiced concerns on social media regarding certain members of Trump’s national security team, claiming they are untrustworthy.
“It was an honor to meet with President Trump and share my research findings,” Loomer stated in a post on X. “I will continue to work diligently to support his agenda and emphasize the importance of STRONG VETTING to safeguard the President of the United States and our national security.”
Trump has a well-documented history of promoting and engaging with individuals who propagate falsehoods and conspiracy theories, often amplifying content shared on his social media platform by figures like Loomer, who endorse QAnon—a convoluted conspiracy theory suggesting Trump is combating a “deep state.”
Trump’s decision to oust staff comes amid scrutiny of his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who is facing backlash for utilizing the Signal app to discuss the sensitive planning of a military operation set for March 15 against Houthi militants in Yemen.
A journalist from The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in the discussion, revealing that Trump’s team utilized the app to discuss critical details of the operation, including timings and aircraft used in the strikes.
Waltz has accepted responsibility for creating the text chain but has stated he is unsure how Goldberg was included in it.
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s meeting with Trump, Loomer had expressed her displeasure to supportive administration officials about being left out of the NSC vetting process as Waltz expanded his team. She believed Waltz relied too heavily on “neocons”—a term used to describe the more hawkish neoconservatives within the Republican Party—as well as individuals she viewed as “not-MAGA-enough,” according to a source familiar with the situation.
In the early days of Trump’s return to the White House, Waltz sent approximately 160 non-political detailees back to their original agencies from the National Security Council to ensure that personnel were aligned with Trump’s America First agenda.
This action marginalized nonpolitical experts on crucial issues, including counterterrorism and global climate policy, at a time when the U.S. is navigating a complex array of foreign policy issues, such as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Last week, Adam Schleifer, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, was dismissed without an explanation via a terse email from the Presidential Personnel Office shortly after Loomer mentioned him on social media, as per a knowledgeable source.
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This report has been corrected to indicate that the surname of the Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
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Lee reported from Brussels.
