() The head of the National Security Agency, one of the world’s top intelligence agencies, along with the deputy director Wendy Noble, was fired Thursday, the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, and a separate source with knowledge of the matter, said.

Gen. Timothy Haugh served as head of the NSA as well as Cyber Command, which oversees the military’s operations dealing with cyber.

The NSA refused to comment and referred inquiries to the Defense Department, which oversees the agency. In a response to for comment, a Pentagon official said, “We’ve seen the reports, but have nothing to offer at this time.”

The Pentagon said it would provide more information when it becomes available.

Lt. Gen. William Hartman is now the NSA acting director, according to the source.

On Thursday, a source familiar with firings that took place within the National Security Council told ‘s Kellie Meyer that three senior officials and at least two junior officials were let go from the NSC.

As ’s Joe Khalil reported Thursday night, Democrats blasted the firings.

“General Haugh has served our country in uniform, with honor and distinction, for more than 30 years. At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.

While the reasoning for the firings is not known, conservative activist Laura Loomer is taking credit. She applauded the move in a post on “X” and told the Washington Post she pushed for the firings in a meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

In her social media post on Friday, Loomer wrote that Haugh and Noble had been “disloyal” to Trump, adding, “That is why they were fired.”

Loomer told the Post she pushed for Haugh’s dismissal because he had been picked by then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, who has been critical of Trump. Loomer did not respond to ’s inquiry.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that Loomer did not have anything to do with the NSA firings. He referred to her as “a good Patriot” and a “strong person” and said that Loomer made “recommendations” during their meeting.

Asked about firings from federal agencies like the NSC, Trump told reporters, “We’re always going to let go of people – people we don’t like or people that take advantage of or people that may have loyalties to someone else.” 

Other Democrats expressed anger over the NSA firings.

“I am deeply disturbed by the decision to remove General Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency. I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this Administration,” U.S. Rep. Jim Hines, D-Conn., the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said.