The new National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, has initiated a „complete review” of the National Security Council staff, including those working on Ukraine-related issues, in line with President Donald Trump’s „America First” agenda.
Dozens of career officials working at the White House on issues such as Iranian and North Korean nuclear proliferation, cyber espionage, and Russia’s war in Ukraine are undergoing a comprehensive evaluation process, as reported by The Washington Post.
The decision aims for the National Security Council (NSC) staff to commit to implementing President Trump's "America First" agenda, "to protect our national security and wisely use the hard-earned money of the men and women who work in America," stated NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes in a statement.
"Starting Monday at 12:01, personnel reviews will be conducted, and decisions will be made based on assessments," Hughes stated in the declaration.
NSC officials were informed on Wednesday in a brief call by Waltz's chief of staff, Brian McCormack, that they must immediately leave the White House. They were instructed to return only if requested by their supervisors – senior directors appointed by the Trump administration, as reported by three American officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"As this review is completed, based on the precedent set by the Biden administration, you are asked to be available and report to the office only if contacted by NSC leadership," McCormack told the officials, according to a recording of the call lasting less than two minutes obtained by the American daily.
Waltz's order was so sudden that some officials were unable to leave the White House complex as their magnetic access badges had already been deactivated, so Secret Service agents manually opened the gates, a source revealed.
The decision reflects the suspicion that Donald Trump holds towards career officials in the National Security Council, possibly stemming from his experience with Alexander Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel who worked in the agency as director for European affairs.
In July 2019, Vindman expressed his concerns to officials about Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and his signal led to the initiation of Trump's impeachment proceedings later that year.
During the call, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate corruption allegations against Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, an action that critics of the Republican considered an abuse of power aimed at undermining a political rival. Trump countered that his conversation with Zelensky was "a perfect call."
The mass departure of career staff during a transition period could make it more challenging for the new national security team to address substantive issues, said a former official, estimating that around 150 "holdover" officials from the Biden administration are in place.
The dozens of officials sent home on Wednesday had been detailed to the NSC from other government agencies, including the CIA, NSA, State Department, and Pentagon.
Some career employees were asked to stay, sources said. Others were in the final months of their one- or two-year assignments and wanted to return to their originating agencies. Those interested in staying under Trump's tenure were invited to contact the White House Human Resources office, with the new team set to review these requests, the three officials cited said.
The staff assessment follows statements this month from former Trump administration collaborators who claimed that Waltz was preparing to allow a significant number of Biden administration employees to remain at the NSC. "This is a serious mistake if true. Removing such people is not personal, it is just a prudent measure," wrote former advisor Joshua Steinman on X.
The next day, Waltz clarified on X that "anyone working under President Trump in the NSC will be fully aligned with his America First agenda." "Any rumors or suggestions to the contrary are fake news and a distraction from the mission," he emphasized.
Two of the sources cited by The Washington Post stated that McCormack's review on Waltz's behalf is not a loyalty test to Trump for the officials targeted.
"It evaluates who is left and who can be helpful," one of them said. "I wish it had been done earlier and not waited until after the inauguration. Just for the sake of national security and the country, you want the NSC to be operational from day one. But they have every right to have the officials they want there. I just wish it had been handled differently," one source explained.
In contrast, four years ago, the new team Biden appointed to the NSC offered to let the assistants who had worked there during the Trump administration return to their agencies earlier if they wished.
T.D.