Updated: Trump Removes Aides Amid MAGA Loyalty Concerns \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump confirmed he fired several National Security Council officials after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who questioned their loyalty to his MAGA agenda. Trump downplayed her influence but acknowledged receiving her recommendations. The firings come amid growing scrutiny of the NSC’s internal operations and use of unsecured apps.
Trump Fires NSC Officials After Loomer Meeting Quick Looks
- Trump confirms firing “some” NSC officials for loyalty concerns
- Laura Loomer urged firings in Oval Office meeting with Trump
- Dismissals include three senior NSC directors, others
- Trump denies Loomer drove decisions but calls her “patriot”
- Loomer posted publicly celebrating firings after Oval Office talks
- NSC under fire for using Signal app in military planning
- Trump defends Mike Waltz, who built the Signal text chain
- Pentagon inspector general reviewing use of encrypted messaging
- Firings deepen internal rift over MAGA-aligned staffing
- Critics raise concerns about politicizing national security roles
Deep Look
President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that he has fired multiple officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC), a day after meeting with controversial far-right activist Laura Loomer, who raised red flags about staff loyalty and MAGA alignment. Though Trump publicly downplayed Loomer’s role in prompting the shake-up, multiple people familiar with the matter confirmed she had presented a list of officials she believed were not fully supportive of the president’s “America First” agenda.
“Always we’re letting go of people,” Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to Miami for a political event. “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.”
The move comes at a sensitive time for Trump’s national security team, which is already under scrutiny for its use of Signal, a publicly available encrypted messaging app, to coordinate sensitive military operations—most notably, a March 15 strike targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.
Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, who built the planning group on Signal, remains under pressure but has retained the president’s support. “I stand by Mike,” Trump said, as Waltz accompanied him to Florida for the weekend’s LIV Golf tournament and fundraising events. Trump characterized the firings as part of regular staff evaluations and reiterated that he “listens to everybody before making a decision.”
Still, the timing and sequence of events strongly suggest that Loomer’s influence played a role. According to four people with direct knowledge of the situation, Loomer met Wednesday in the Oval Office with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Waltz, and Sergio Gor, director of the Presidential Personnel Office. During the meeting, she presented what she called “research findings” and urged a loyalty purge within the NSC.
Shortly after, at least three senior NSC officials were dismissed:
- Brian Walsh, Director for Intelligence
- Thomas Boodry, Senior Director for Legislative Affairs
- David Feith, Senior Director for Technology and National Security
Multiple lower-level staffers were also let go.
Loomer later took credit for the purge in a post on X, writing:
“You know how you know the NSC officials I reported to President Trump are disloyal…? The fired officials are being defended on CNN and MSNBC.”
She added, “It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings. I will continue reiterating the importance of STRONG VETTING for the sake of protecting the President and our national security.”
Loomer has long been a controversial figure, known for promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories, QAnon content, and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Though previously sidelined by parts of Trump’s political team, she became increasingly visible during the 2024 campaign and was frequently seen traveling with the former president during key campaign events.
Her resurgence—and direct role in influencing White House personnel decisions—has alarmed some within the Republican establishment and national security community.
“This raises eyebrows,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), who sits on Senate intelligence and defense committees. “Particularly when experienced intelligence professionals are removed based on ideological vetting rather than qualifications.”
The firings also follow ongoing controversy over the Signal app incident, in which an encrypted planning group inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who exposed key operational details in a published report. Goldberg later said the group shared information such as target locations, strike timing, and aircraft specifics.
Waltz, who acknowledged creating the group, claimed he does not know how Goldberg was added and has launched an internal review. On Thursday, Pentagon Acting Inspector General announced a formal investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal and the broader use of unsecured communication channels for military planning.
The pressure to root out “disloyal” elements appears to reflect broader concerns among Trump loyalists about the pace and ideology of national security appointments. Loomer reportedly told aides ahead of the Oval Office meeting that she had been shut out of the NSC hiring process by Waltz, who she accused of relying too heavily on “neocons” and “not-MAGA-enough” voices.
Trump, meanwhile, defended Loomer publicly, saying,
“Laura Loomer is a very good patriot. She is a very strong person.”
He added, “She recommended certain people for jobs. Sometimes I listen to those recommendations like I do with everybody.”
This is not the first personnel decision connected to Loomer’s social media activism. Just last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Schleifer in Los Angeles was abruptly fired after Loomer posted about him on X, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Waltz, for his part, has already sent more than 160 nonpolitical detailees back to their home agencies since Trump returned to office, in an attempt to clear space for MAGA-aligned personnel. This move has sidelined experts in counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and climate policy at a time of global instability, including active U.S. involvement in Ukraine, the Middle East, and tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
As Trump continues to consolidate power in his second term, the White House Personnel Office, now closely aligned with MAGA activists like Loomer, appears to be taking aggressive steps to enforce ideological purity—placing loyalty to Trump above institutional experience or expertise.
Whether this shift will improve or weaken national security operations remains to be seen, but what’s clear is this: Laura Loomer now holds real influence inside Trump’s White House—and her vision for America’s national security team is being realized, one firing at a time.
Updated: Trump Removes Aides Updated: Trump Removes Aides
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