The United States (US) president, Donald Trump, has moved to dismiss several senior officials from the National Security Council (NSC) after far-right activist Laura Loomer urged him to remove staff members she deemed insufficiently committed to his "Make America Great Again" agenda.
Loomer presented her findings and recommendations directly to Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to individuals familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Associated Press reports.
The Oval Office meeting, which also included Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Serio Gor, the director of the Presidential Personnel Office, was focused on Loomer's push for the firings.
Loomer, a frequent figure on the campaign trail during Trump’s 2024 run, has been vocal on social media about her mistrust of some members of Trump’s national security team, claiming they cannot be trusted.
NSC spokesman Brian Hughes declined to comment on the meeting or any potential firings, stating that the White House does not discuss personnel matters.
This move by Trump to push out staff comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Waltz, who is facing backlash for using the encrypted Signal app to discuss a military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen on March 15.
The communication chain was inadvertently exposed when journalist Jeffrey Rosenberg of The Atlantic was mistakenly added, revealing sensitive information about the operation, including its timing and aircraft.
Waltz has taken responsibility for the creation of the text chain but has said he is unsure how Rosenberg was included.