White House Dismisses NSC Staff Following Activist's Remarks to President Trump

The White House recently terminated the employment of at least three National Security Council (NSC) staff members, according to three sources who spoke to CNN.

The dismissals followed a meeting in which far-right activist Laura Loomer advised President Donald Trump to remove certain individuals from his NSC team, including a principal deputy national security adviser, accusing them of disloyalty. One source indicated that Loomer’s interaction directly influenced the firings.

Although Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong was not dismissed on Wednesday, a White House official suggested to CNN that Wong could face termination imminently, although a definitive decision has yet to be confirmed.

Loomer singled out Wong, questioning his allegiance to Trump and privately criticizing him as a “Never Trumper.”

One source speculated that National Security Adviser Michael Waltz might have hesitated to dismiss Wong due to ongoing controversy linked to the leak of controversial Signal messages about military actions in Yemen, for which Waltz and his team have faced criticism.

The three officials who were let go include Brian Walsh, an intelligence director and former senior staffer for current Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee; Thomas Boodry, senior director for legislative affairs and former legislative director for Waltz in Congress; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security, who worked in the State Department during Trump’s first term.

“The NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters,” said NSC spokesman Brian Hughes in a statement to CNN.

Loomer arrived at the White House while Waltz was in other meetings, gaining the opportunity to speak with Trump directly.

“Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m not disclosing details from my meeting,” Loomer stated to CNN on Thursday. “Meeting President Trump was an honor, and I’ll continue to support his agenda as well as emphasize the critical nature of thorough vetting to protect the President and our national security.”

The meeting between Loomer and Trump, initially reported by The New York Times, coincided with the president and his economic team’s preparation for a tariff announcement in the Rose Garden.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who had previously managed Loomer’s access to Trump during the campaign, attended the meeting, according to an aide.

It was unclear when Loomer’s meeting was scheduled, but the aide mentioned that the attendance of Wiles and Sergio Gor, head of presidential personnel, indicated it was an approved engagement.

Gor, known as one of Trump’s most loyal aides, has been a point of contact for complaints from Trump allies regarding Waltz.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.