U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed both the director and deputy director of the National Security Agency.
On Thursday, Trump removed General Timothy Haugh, head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, along with his deputy, Wendy Noble. Their replacements will be William Hartmann, currently deputy at U.S. Cyber Command, and Sheila Thomas, executive director at the NSA.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer reacted on X, stating: “NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired.”
Loomer claimed Haugh was “hand-picked” by General Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has been critical of Trump. “Why would we want Milley’s hand-picked choice for NSA Director? We do not,” she wrote, adding that this was the reason Haugh was recommended for removal.
She also questioned how someone allegedly aligned with Biden had passed through Trump’s vetting team. “Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position,” she said.
Loomer labelled Noble as Haugh’s “Obama-loving protégé” and a follower of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a known Trump critic. She further accused Noble of using her time at the NSA to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
“Their firings are a blessing for the American people,” Loomer posted. “Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and for removing these Biden holdovers. Vetting matters!”
The New York Times reported that Loomer had met with Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday to push for staff changes at the National Security Council. CNN also linked the NSA firings to that meeting, despite past tensions between Loomer and top MAGA figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has dismissed numerous agency heads and replaced them with loyal allies.
