President Trump on Thursday confirmed a reported purge of national security agencies this week, with firings of at least a half dozen officials in both the Pentagon’s National Security Agency and the White House’s National Security Council.

The move came the day after Laura Loomer, a political activist linked to far-right conspiracies, met with Trump in the White House, and reportedly brought a list of national security officials who couldn’t be trusted. 

Here are five things to know about the firings on the national security team.

At least 8 fired so far 

The purge of national security officials so far includes six at the NSC, which is overseen by national security adviser Mike Waltz, and the top two leaders of the NSA, an intelligence agency within the Department of Defense. 

Those out at the NSA include Brian Walsh, senior director of intelligence; Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs and David Geuth, senior director of technology and national security. The New York Times also reported that Maggie Dougherty, the senior director for international organizations, was forced out. Boodry was also an aide to Waltz, a former House member, in Congress. 

Also sacked Thursday was Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, who led both the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, and his deputy, Wendy Noble, who has reportedly been reassigned within the Pentagon. 

Sen. Mark Warner (Va.) and Rep Jim Himes D-Conn.), the top Democrats on their respective intelligence committees, blasted the removal of Haugh in particular. Warner noted the timing, coming a week after Trump’s national security officials faced backlash to reporting about their use of Signal for military planning – and accidentally inviting a journalist into the group chat. 

“It is astonishing that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the NSA while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app – even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office,” Warner wrote on X. 

Loomer reveled in Haugh’s ouster in posts on X Friday. 

“As a Biden appointee, General Haugh had no place serving in the Trump admin given the fact that he was HAND PICKED by General Milley, who was accused of committing treason by President Trump,” she wrote. 

“Why would we want Milley’s hand picked choice for NSA DIRECTOR? We do not! And thus, he was referred for firing,” she added. 

Loomer also called Noble a protege of James Clapper, who served as director of national intelligence in the Obama administration and has been deeply critical of Mr. Trump. 

“She is a Trump hater who was nominated by JOE BIDEN,” Loomer wrote. 

Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, Haugh’s deputy at Cyber Command, will reportedly be the acting director of the NSA.

Meanwhile, Trump on Thursday responded “no not all” when asked if Loomer had anything to do with NSC firings and confirmed “a couple” of aides at the NSC were fired. The president wouldn’t say who she recommended he fire.

Loomer’s influence in spotlight

The president on Thursday called Loomer “a great patriot” and “a very strong person,” though played down her final say in the firings. 

“She makes recommendations on things and people and sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody and then I make a decision,” Trump said. “She always has something to say, usually very constructive… she recommended some people for jobs.”  

“Yesterday, she recommended some people for jobs,” he said.

Loomer’s influence on the president has grown over the years, despite her promotion of conspiracy theories about the attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001 and her anti-Muslim rhetoric. During the campaign, she reportedly was considered for an official role but Trump aides at the time suggested she keep a distance.

Still, Trump made headlines when she joined him for a slight to a 9/11 memorial ceremony last September, in the presidential campaign’s home stretch. 

Sources say Trump has listened to Loomer in the past, stemming from her loyalty to him.

“I’m not surprised because from her reputation during the campaign, it was clear that she had access and the president listened to her,” a source close to the White House said of this week’s news. 

“Her social media presence, it’s always been this extremely pro Trump, pro MAGA and he is drawn to people like that. If you’re loyal to him, he will listen to you.”

The source warned Loomer’s influence could prove problematic for White House officials seeking to manage access to Trump. 

“[Loomer] can walk into the White House grounds, obviously she’s talking to him, having a meeting with him that impacts people’s jobs— that’s a problem,” the source said. 

Another source close to the Trump team called the meeting and its aftermath “a telling episode” that highlights how MAGA allies are important to the president.

Waltz again at center of storm

The firings at NSC puts national security adviser Mike Waltz at the center of the storm, adding to a run of scandals over the last two weeks.

Waltz, as well as chief of staff Susie Wiles, was in the meeting with Loomer at the White House this week. When the president was asked Thursday if he trusts his national security staff, he replied, “they’ve done very well,” citing success with the strikes on the Houthis. 

The president has stuck by Waltz in the wake of the report from The Atlantic. Trump last week said he “claimed responsibility” for the Signal incident, but no one including Waltz, is expected to be fired over the situation that the White House later said is a closed case.

“It was Mike, I guess. I don’t know. I was told it was Mike,” Trump said last week. “Mike — he took responsibility for it.”

Politico reported Wednesday that Waltz had set up 20 or more Signal groups to coordinate work on issues ranging from Ukraine to China and the Middle East. 

There are also lingering questions within Trump world over why Waltz had Goldberg’s contact info in his phone in the first place. 

Goldberg said that Waltz inadvertently added him to the chat, which included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laying out plans for the attack. The White House has said that the plans were not considered classified and defended the use of Signal.

Waltz has said Goldberg’s Signal number was unintentionally imported into his phone along with another contact. 

Raises national security concerns

The NSC ousters have rankled those in the national security and defense communities, with critics of the move expressing concern the firings would serve to weaken U.S. intelligence and security.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who sits on both the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said it “raises eyebrows” when “there is a firing of people on the National Security Council or their staff, particularly people that we have respect for, who were part of the Intel community to begin with here in the Senate,” according to The Associated Press.

Particularly strong criticism has been aired over the firing of Haugh, who had led the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command since 2023.

Haugh oversaw the agencies’ significant roles in U.S. cybersecurity – the NSA collects and analyzes huge amounts of information to support the military and other federal national security agencies, while U.S. Cyber Command plans offensive operations against enemies and defends U.S. networks. 

Warner, the Senate intel ranking member, indicated in a statement that Haugh’s firing would likely make the U.S. more vulnerable.

“At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats . . . how does firing him make Americans any safer?”

Himes, the senior House intel Democrat, sent a letter Friday to Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, demanding a justification for the removal of Haugh and Noble. 

“These abrupt and unjustified actions threaten to disrupt the activities of the NSA at a time when we face many threats to our national security,” Himes wrote. “Given the critical importance of these positions to our national security and the rash nature of the dismissals, the public and your congressional overseers require a clear explanation of the rationale and circumstances behind these decisions.”

More firings could be coming 

Some of the top targets for Loomer and other far-right influencers were not among those reportedly fired, at least so far. 

Loomer has been highly critical of Alex Wong, the deputy national security adviser, over issues ranging from his wife’s former work at the Justice Department under Democratic presidents, or his family’s ties to Taiwan. She even suggested he was responsible for Waltz inviting Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg into the administration’s group chat about attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

Wong is not alone on Loomer’s grievance list. 

She has publicly called for the dismissals of Maria Proestou, a deputy assistant secretary of the Navy; Ivan Kanapathy, the National Security Council director for Asia, and Katrina Fotovat, the head of the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, according to The Times. 

And Loomer has said LGBTQ liaisons at the Veterans Affairs Department should be fired, and has targeted an unidentified NSC staffer who she said was transgender and “hates President Trump.”

When asked if more firings could be coming, NSC spokesman Brian Hughes told The Hill the NSC does not comment on personnel matters.