In Washington, President Donald Trump has mandated significant changes to the National Security Council (NSC), effectively downsizing its staff and relocating many career appointees back to their original agencies. This information comes from two U.S. officials and another individual knowledgeable about the restructuring. The intention behind this move is to notably decrease the NSC’s staff numbers, as explained by the officials who opted to remain anonymous during the conversation due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
Marco Rubio has been acting as the national security adviser since early this month following Mike Waltz’s removal. Waltz has since been appointed to serve as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. During the early stages of Trump’s second term, the NSC has largely experienced continuous upheaval.
Waltz’s dismissal occurred weeks after Trump announced the termination of several NSC officials, a decision that came a day after far-right activist Laura Loomer brought her concerns about staff loyalty directly to Trump. Within days of the administration taking office, approximately 160 NSC aides were deferred and sent home as the administration evaluated staffing to better align with Trump’s directives. These aides were primarily career government employees, often referred to as detailees.
The recent reorganization represents a “liquidation” of NSC staffing, according to a source familiar with the decision. It involves sending career government detailees back to their own agencies and dismissing multiple political appointees from their roles. A representative from the White House, who also requested anonymity, confirmed that the overhaul process is in progress, as originally reported by Axios, but refrained from providing additional comments.