US National Security Council suspends officials responsible for Ukraine, Iran, and North Korea matters – WP
Photo: Mike Waltz (Getty Images)
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has authorized a "full review" of dozens of career White House officials. This includes those responsible for issues related to Iran and North Korea's proliferation of nuclear weapons, cyber espionage, and the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reports.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes explained that the move aims to ensure that staff members "are committed to implementing" US President Donald Trump's America First agenda. Particularly, this includes protecting national security and ensuring the wise use of taxpayers’ money.
"Since 12:01 pm on Monday, personnel reviews and decisions based on the evaluations are being made," Hughes added.
According to The Washington Post, during a brief call on Wednesday conducted by Waltz's Chief of Staff Brian McCormack, officials were informed that they must leave the building. They were instructed to return only at the request of their supervisors - senior directors appointed by President Donald Trump's administration.
"While this review is being completed, based on the precedent set by the Biden administration, you are directed to be on call and report to the office only if contacted by the NSC (National Security Council - ed.) leadership," McCormack said,
Waltz's decision was so unexpected that some officials were physically unable to leave the White House grounds because their badges had been deactivated. The awkward impasse required the Secret Service to manually open the gates for those whose badges no longer worked.
According to a former official, the mass departure of so many career staff members during a transition period could complicate the new national security team's ability to address significant issues.
"The dozens of officials sent home Wednesday have been assigned to the NSC from other government agencies, including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the State Department and the Pentagon," The Washington Post added.
"Purges" at White House
According to the Associated Press, new senior Trump administration officials began questioning career civil servants at the White House NSC even before his inauguration.
Employees were asked about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions, and whether they had posted anything on social media that Trump's team might consider compromising.
