White House fires National Security Agency chief

The Trump administration has fired Gen. Timothy Haugh. He was the head of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command. CBS, a partner of the BBC, reported this news.

The reason for his removal is unclear. It follows a meeting between President Trump and activist Laura Loomer on Wednesday. Loomer reportedly urged Trump to fire certain employees she believed were disloyal.

Loomer posted on X that Gen. Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, were disloyal to Trump. She claimed that was why they were fired.

Before the firings were announced, Trump told reporters he would remove disloyal staff. He stated, "We're always going to let go of people we don't like." This comment came while he was aboard Air Force One.

Reports also indicated at least three other officials from the National Security Council (NSC) were fired after Loomer's meeting with Trump. The president did not confirm their names.

The NSA referred inquiries about the firings to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs. The White House previously stated it would not comment on personnel matters.

Top Democrats on intelligence committees disclosed Gen. Haugh's firing to CBS. Representative Jim Himes expressed being "deeply disturbed" by this decision.

Himes described Gen. Haugh as honest and law-abiding, fearing these qualities led to his dismissal under this administration.

Other NSC officials fired included Brian Walsh, Thomas Boodry, and David Feith. It remains unclear if their removals are connected to those of Gen. Haugh and Noble.

These firings follow a controversy last month involving an accidental leak in a Signal messaging thread about military strikes in Yemen. Gen. Haugh testified about this incident last week but was not part of the chat.

It is uncertain how much this controversy influenced the recent firings. So far, Trump has supported top officials involved in that incident.

A source told CBS that the Signal incident prompted scrutiny of staff members seen as misaligned with Trump’s agenda. Loomer's visit reportedly sealed the fate for those terminated.

The administration has been reviewing outside meetings held by national security staff members who met individuals not aligned with Trump’s views.

On Thursday, while traveling to Miami, Florida, Trump praised Loomer as a "great patriot." He confirmed their meeting and mentioned he sometimes listens to her recommendations.

In a phone call with BBC, Loomer called her meeting with Trump confidential and criticized leakers at the White House for sharing details about it.

She stated it was an honor to present her research findings to him and pledged continued support for Trump's agenda emphasizing strong vetting for national security reasons.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now under internal review regarding his use of Signal during that incident according to Pentagon officials.

Inspector general offices routinely conduct independent investigations into federal agencies for potential security breaches or policy violations.

Since returning in January, Trump has removed many inspectors general from government positions and replaced them with acting heads across various departments.