Donald Trump fires NSC officials, who are they? What is its impact on US national security

US President Donald Trump fired at least six National Security Council (NSC) officials after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer. This is the first significant expulsion of Donald Trump's second presidency. It is also being termed as the first action after the 'Signalgate' leak involving National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

As per a CBS report, those fired from the NSC include:

• Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence, who previously worked for Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  
  
• Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs, formerly Waltz’s legislative director in Congress
  
  
• David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security. He served in the State Department during Trump's first term

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Though the US president downplayed Loomer's role in the firings, Loomer had raised concerns about the loyalty of these officials. According to multiple reports, Loomer called out approximately a dozen members of Representative Mike Waltz’s national security team, recommending their removal.

"Always we’re letting go of people...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," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday (Apr 3) afternoon.

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As per a report by AP, Loomer during her Oval Office conversation with Trump urged the president to purge staffers she deemed insufficiently loyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda. Trump also confirmed meeting Loomer, calling her a "great patriot" and a "very strong person". "She makes recommendations… sometimes I listen to those recommendations," he added. 

I woke up this morning to learn that there are still people in and around the West Wing who are LEAKING to the hostile, left-wing media about President Trump’s *confidential* and *private* meetings in the Oval Office. I want to reiterate how important it is that people who gain…

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 3, 2025

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NSC and how these expulsions will pan out

The firings in the National Security Council, which advises the president on the important security challenges facing the country, come at a time when  NSC is embroiled in a high-profile leak of classified discussions on Signal involving NSA Michael Waltz. The controversy, now dubbed 'Signalgate' erupted when Waltz mistakenly added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Signal group chat discussing an attack on the Houthis in Yemen. The accidental inclusion of a journalist in a sensitive conversation raised serious concerns about national security and internal administration discipline. As per reports, Waltz’s team regularly set up chats on Signal to coordinate official work.

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With these major expulsions, Trump’s national security team has to undergo a significant restructuring. The dismissals highlight the influence of far-right activists in Trump's presidency and the power struggles within Trump’s White House.

(With inputs from agencies)