Trump Dismisses Over 100 National Security Council Staffers

On Friday, the Trump administration dismissed numerous staffers from the White House National Security Council (NSC) as part of a significant downsizing effort. The cuts affected both career officials and political appointees, aligning with recent signals from administration officials following the replacement of former National Security Adviser Michael Waltz with Marco Rubio, who is also serving as Secretary of State. 

This move is part of a broader review to streamline NSC operations under Trump’s administration. Some staff from previous administrations have already been sent back to their home agencies. Waltz aims to ensure the NSC personnel fully support Trump’s policy goals and is bringing in experts with favored expertise from the first Trump administration. 

The administration argues the NSC had grown excessively under past presidencies, notably peaking at around 400 personnel under President Obama, which they claim enabled the White House to excessively micromanage policy. 

This restructuring has raised concerns among some officials and observers, who worry that sidelining nonpolitical experts on topics ranging from counterterrorism to global climate policy could impact the United States’ ability to address complex foreign policy matters. 

The White House has not yet commented publicly on the matter. This is an ongoing story.