Donald Trump Six National Security Council employees were dismissed following an intense gathering in the Oval Office, during which far-right activist Laura Loomer shared research suggesting these staff members were not loyal to the U.S. president. This information comes from two individuals privy to the situation.
The dismissals included four staff members who were let go overnight following the meeting, along with two others who were removed over the weekend. This led to an unusual circumstance wherein Loomer seemed to wield greater influence than National Security Adviser Mike Waltz within the NSC, effectively undermining Waltz as his subordinates were being dismissed under his watch.
Loomer presented a booklet containing documents outlining the alleged disloyalty of around a dozen employees at the gathering. Attendees included Waltz’s main deputy, Alex Wong; JD Vance; Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; and Waltz himself.
The dismissed officials were Brian Walsh, the top intelligence advisor who formerly collaborated with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee; Thomas Boodry, the lead legislative liaison who had been Congressman Waltz’s legislative director; and Maggie Dougherty, the principal advisor for international bodies, according to sources.
Although the dismissals seemed random, one individual mentioned that the White House examined Loomer’s opposition research and confirmed some aspects. In the end, they discovered that an NSC official had recently made critical comments about Trump on social media, while others were connected to prominent Republican figures such as Senators John McCain and Mitch McConnell, who Trump strongly dislikes.
The dismissals did not involve Wong, whom Loomer has singled out as one of his primary adversaries. Loomer has criticized Wong due to the actions of his spouse, Candice, at the Department of Justice, where she was involved in prosecuting individuals implicated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Additionally, Loomer has made public statements alleging that Wong holds favorable views towards the Chinese Communist Party.
Loomer did not promptly address inquiries sent via text regarding the purported misdeeds of the NSC officials she criticized. A representative from the NSC, Brian Hughes, also chose not to reply to requests seeking clarification.
However, following Waltz’s accidental addition of an Atlantic reporter to a Signal group chat, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was sharing information regarding a U.S. military operation against the Houthis in Yemen, Loomer proposed that Wong and other professional NSC staffers were attempting to undermine Trump by instigating a controversy.
She unfoundedly asserted that Wong intentionally included the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in the sensitive conversation “with the aim of orchestrating a foreign operation to disgrace the Trump administration on China’s behalf.” (The White House’s ultimate internal assessment concluded, the Guardian has reported Was that waltz mistakenly included by Waltz himself in the Goldberg?
Loomer has been among a group of Trump supporters who have criticized Waltz and his team, referring to them as "neocons" — shorthand for neo-conservatives — derogatorily. They use this label to condemn Waltz and company for their aggressive stance and readiness to deploy U.S. military might overseas, which conflicts with Trump’s "America First" international strategy.
On Wednesday, the online criticism of Waltz and his team escalated when Loomer showed up at the White House for the discussion. It wasn’t clear right away how Loomer managed to gain entry into the White House grounds without having a "hard pass," despite being a journalist—a point of contention she has raised frequently over the past few weeks.
Loomer sat opposite Trump in the Oval Office while pitching directly to him about removing the individuals she aimed to target. New York Times reported It turns out that Republican Representative Scott Perry, who harbored reservations regarding staff members within the administration, was simultaneously attempting to secure a meeting with Trump.
The impact on Waltz remained unclear. On Thursday, he departed the White House alongside Trump aboard Marine One, indicating presidential backing since the president had refrained from dismissing Waltz the previous week due to the Signal chat incident. Additionally, sources stated that Waltz has been demonstrating greater respect towards Wiles, the chief of staff, aiming to secure her endorsement.
However, Waltz’s political adversaries highlight that he managed to survive the Signal chat incident mainly due to his connections. Trump was not eager to grant the press corps a win. , and not due to his faith in Waltz. His primary supporter is seen as Senator Lindsey Graham, rather than having a group of supporters within Trump’s close-knit team.