Trump seeks to identify disloyal officials in White House - AP

According to a source from the agency, employees are being asked about whom they voted for in the 2024 elections, their political contributions, and whether they have posted anything on social media that President-elect Donald Trump's team might consider incriminating.

According to an official who wished to remain anonymous, at least some of these non-political employees have begun packing their belongings after being questioned about their loyalty to Trump - despite earlier being led to believe that they would be asked to remain in the NSC in the new administration.

Mike Waltz, whom Trump selected as national security advisor, has publicly stated in recent days his intention to remove all non-political appointees and career intelligence personnel working in the NSC by inauguration day to ensure that the council is staffed with individuals supporting Trump's agenda.

The mass removal of foreign policy and national security experts from the NSC on the first day of the new administration could deprive Trump's team of substantial experience and institutional knowledge at a time when the US faces complex political challenges in Ukraine, the Middle East, and beyond.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that Waltz and Trump's transition team members have not informed him of any such vetting process being conducted or planned.

However, Sullivan has recently presented strong arguments for keeping the career civil servants assigned to the NSC, at least during the new administration's initial phase. He described the appointees as "patriots" who have served "without fear or favor to both Democratic and Republican administrations."

Loyalty checks

The NSC staff being questioned about their loyalty are mostly subject matter experts seconded to the White House by federal agencies - such as the State Department, FBI, and CIA - for temporary service typically lasting one to two years. They will be returned to their home agencies if dismissed from the NSC.

The vetting of civil servants began last week, the official said. Some of them were questioned about their political views by Trump appointees who will serve as directors in the NSC and who had earlier asked them to stay. At the directorate level of the NSC, there are dozens of civil servants who were expecting to remain at the White House in the new administration.

The NSC

The National Security Council was created as a White House unit during the Truman administration, tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy matters, and coordinating the activities of various government agencies. Experts appointed to the NSC often transition from one administration to another, even when the White House changes parties.

During his first term, Trump was scarred when two career military officers seconded to the NSC became whistleblowers after expressing concern over Trump's 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which Trump sought an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter. This episode led to Trump's first impeachment.

Alexander Vindman listened to the call as an NSC official and was alarmed by what he heard. He consulted his twin brother Eugene, who at the time worked as an ethics lawyer at the NSC. Both Vindmans reported their concerns to their superiors.