Trump axes NSA head, NSC staff after Loomer advice

What happened

President Donald Trump reportedly fired Gen. Tim Haugh, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, Thursday and sacked at least five National Security Council officials, a day after far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer had recommended the firings in a closed-door Oval Office meeting, according to Loomer and multiple White House officials.

Who said what

Trump confirmed Wednesday's meeting Thursday but "downplayed Loomer's influence on the firings," The Associated Press said. Loomer later "appeared to take credit." Haugh and his civilian deputy, Wendy Noble, "were "fired" because they "have been disloyal to President Trump," Loomer said on X. "The NSC officials I reported to President Trump are disloyal people."

Loomer brought to the Oval Office a "sheaf of papers attacking the character and loyalty of numerous NSC officials" and "vilified" several "by name," The New York Times said. Remarkably, Loomer, "viewed as extreme" even by some of Trump's "far-right allies," apparently wields "more influence over the staff of the National Security Council" than their embattled boss, Michael Waltz.

What next?

Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, Haugh's deputy at Cyber Command, will reportedly serve as acting NSA director. Trump told reporters Thursday, en route to a golf gala in Miami, that "we're letting go" of "people that we don’t like or people that we don't think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else."