On Friday, numerous personnel at the White House National Security Council were unexpectedly terminated as the Trump administration initiated a comprehensive effort to reduce the size of this significant coordinating body, as reported by sources familiar with the situation.
The terminations impacted both career officials assigned to the NSC and various political appointees, according to the sources. They requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the personnel changes, as reported by the Washington Post and other media outlets.
These staff reductions were executed under the guidance of President Donald Trump’s newly appointed national security adviser, Marco Rubio, who concurrently holds the position of secretary of state. Rubio, now a pivotal figure within the administration, was appointed to the national security position following the dismissal of his predecessor, Michael Waltz, who faced several errors shortly after assuming office.
Trump announced his intention to nominate Waltz as the ambassador to the United Nations.
“In light of Waltz’s removal, officials within the administration have indicated that a significant reduction in the National Security Council is forthcoming,” reported the Post. “There are those who contend that the NSC had become excessively large under prior administrations, reaching a peak of approximately 400 personnel during Barack Obama’s presidency, which enabled the White House to closely oversee policy decisions.”
After the reductions, the National Security Council is expected to revert to a size comparable to that at the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s first term, as per a source acquainted with the situation who spoke to NPR.
Traditionally composed of policy specialists assigned from the State Department, Pentagon, intelligence agencies, and various national security organizations, the NSC functions as a crucial advisory entity to the president regarding significant diplomatic and security issues. Nevertheless, its influence has been significantly diminished during Trump’s second term, as noted by the outlet.
Rather than depending on the NSC’s advice, Trump has increasingly sought counsel from prominent cabinet members such as Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent when making foreign policy choices.
Towards the conclusion of his first term, Trump also aimed to reduce the size of the NSC. This initiative was spearheaded by Robert O’Brien, who served as Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser during his initial administration.
O’Brien, who is currently the chairman of the consulting firm American Global Strategies, stated earlier this month that President Trump is encountering a recurring issue in his second term—an oversized NSC populated with too many “holdovers” from previous administrations attempting to influence policy. A former NSC official who spoke with NPR indicated that O’Brien’s article was a significant factor that led to the recent staff reductions.
O’Brien stated in the Washington Times op-ed, co-authored with Alexander Gray, CEO of their firm, that “we believe the NSC policy staff could be streamlined to 60 people, the same number of NSC staffers that President Dwight D. Eisenhower employed.”
In the meantime, the Justice Department is in the process of assembling a team of lawyers ready to defend the most contentious aspects of Trump’s agenda in court.
As part of this initiative, the department has let go of career attorneys deemed as impediments and has recruited numerous political appointees dedicated to promoting the president’s priorities.
It is important to note that every president appoints staff members who are viewed as “loyal” or aligned with the commander-in-chief’s political goals, and Trump is not acting beyond his authority.
According to a report by the Washington Post, “the new hires are already appearing on behalf of the government to defend Trump’s efforts to reshape immigration policy and the federal workforce and to enhance the powers of the presidency.”
“They sometimes sit in front of judges alone, without the group of experienced attorneys who typically appear for significant cases.”
