The White House has dismissed several senior National Security Council (NSC) officials amid rising internal disputes between different factions within President Donald Trump’s administration, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The removals occurred a day after Laura Loomer, a far-right activist known for promoting conspiracy theories, reportedly met with President Trump to question the loyalty of certain National Security Council (NSC) members.
The officials dismissed include Thomas Boodry, a senior NSC member handling legislative affairs and a former aide to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz during his congressional service; David Feith, responsible for technology and national security; and Brian Walsh, who worked on intelligence matters and previously served under Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Senate tenure.
The firings underscore existing tensions between Waltz’s team and the Presidential Personnel Office (PPO) led by Sergio Gor, a former spokesperson for Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The conflicts revolve around disagreements over administration hires that the PPO has found to be misaligned with Trump’s foreign policy views.
When questioned about the dismissals, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes stated, “NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters.”
Tensions between Waltz’s team and the PPO reportedly began during the transition period of Trump’s presidency in November 2024. An individual familiar with NSC hiring decisions claimed that Gor has obstructed Waltz’s choices for key NSC positions, despite these candidates aligning with both Waltz and the president’s assertive stance on adversaries like China and Iran.
“It’s astounding to me that Waltz has the trust of the president on national security issues but not the trust to staff his own team,” commented an anonymous source discussing sensitive internal White House dynamics.
Concerns have been raised within the White House that these dismissals could hinder Waltz’s ability to populate the NSC with seasoned national security experts, potentially affecting Trump’s foreign policy objectives.
A former member of the Biden National Security Council, speaking anonymously to avoid publicizing opinions on Trump personnel decisions, remarked, “All these jobs have a real learning curve, and pushing a reset will set the Trump team back by months.”
The dismissals coincide with the aftermath of “Signalgate,” a controversy involving NSC officials’ use of the encrypted messaging app Signal for discussing U.S. military operations, which erupted after a journalist was accidentally included in a Signal group chat.
According to The New York Times, National Security Adviser Waltz, under pressure due to the Signal messaging controversy, briefly attended Trump’s meeting with Loomer to defend his team.
The exact link between Loomer’s meeting with the president and the subsequent dismissals remains uncertain.
Loomer, known for spreading conspiracy theories, including about the September 11 attacks, reportedly provided Trump with research on NSC staff she considered insufficiently loyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda. Sources indicate that Loomer compiled a list of about a dozen officials she suggested for removal.
While President Trump has denied that Loomer directly influenced the firings, he has described her as a “great patriot” and acknowledged considering personnel recommendations.
In a post on X following reports of her meeting with the president, Loomer appeared to confirm the meeting, criticizing leaks about it. She noted learning that “there are still people in and around the West Wing who are LEAKING to the hostile, left-wing media” about Trump’s private Oval Office meetings. She advised stringent vetting to protect the president and national security.
The dismissals follow a week after Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) publicly defended Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong against accusations by Loomer and others, alleging Wong and his wife were Chinese government agents undermining the Trump administration—claims lacking evidence.
Senator Cotton, for whom Wong previously worked, stated in a social media post that Wong and his wife are “complete and total patriots, 100% MAGA Warriors who always put America First.” He added, “America is safer and better off with Alex in the White House.”
Wong was a primary target for Loomer during her meeting with Trump, but was not among those dismissed in this round of dismissals.
The White House’s vetting process for administration officials has reportedly intensified during Trump’s current term, with the PPO examining applicants for any indications of disloyalty to the president’s agenda, including scrutinizing social media postings and inquiring about political affiliations.
The Pentagon’s acting inspector general has announced a review of Waltz’s and other defense officials’ use of the Signal app for discussing sensitive military operations, adding complexity to the ongoing turmoil within the national security team.
