WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday, April 3, 2025, that he has dismissed “some” officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC), a decision that follows a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who raised concerns about staff loyalty.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Trump minimized Loomer’s influence on the firings, saying:
“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.”
Loomer, who has promoted conspiracy theories in the past, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday, during which she reportedly urged him to remove staff members she viewed as disloyal to the “Make America Great Again” agenda. Multiple sources familiar with the conversation said Loomer emphasized the need for a personnel overhaul.
Following the meeting, Loomer claimed credit for the dismissals in a post on X, stating:
“You know how you know the NSC officials I reported to President Trump are disloyal people who have played a role in sabotaging Donald Trump?”
She added that “the fired officials” were being defended on CNN and MSNBC.
According to individuals familiar with the situation, the NSC officials dismissed include:
- Brian Walsh, Director for Intelligence
- Thomas Boodry, Senior Director for Legislative Affairs
- David Feith, Senior Director for Technology and National Security
The removals come at a sensitive time for Trump’s national security team. His National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, has faced scrutiny for using the encrypted messaging app Signal to coordinate the March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen. Waltz has admitted to creating the Signal chat but denied responsibility for mistakenly including The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, whose inclusion revealed operational details.
The Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced a formal review of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials’ use of the Signal app to handle sensitive information.
Trump, visibly irritated when asked about the investigation, responded:
“You’re bringing that up again. Don’t bring that up again. Your editor’s probably—that’s such a wasted story.”
In addition to Trump and Loomer, Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Mike Waltz, and Presidential Personnel Director Sergio Gor reportedly attended the meeting. Since then, at least three senior NSC officials and several junior aides have been removed.
“Laura Loomer is a very good patriot. She is a very strong person,” Trump said. He described their discussions as “constructive” and confirmed that she made staffing suggestions.
“Sometimes I listen to those recommendations like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody then I make a decision.”
Loomer, a vocal supporter of Trump during the 2024 campaign, has been using her social media platforms to criticize members of Trump’s national security team, calling them insufficiently aligned with his agenda.
“It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings,” Loomer wrote on Thursday. “I will continue working hard to support his agenda… and reiterating the importance of STRONG VETTING… to protect the President of the United States and our national security.”
Trump has long had ties with individuals who promote falsehoods and conspiracy theories. He frequently amplifies posts from supporters like Loomer, a known promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
The broader Trump administration is facing pressure over staffing and internal loyalty. Waltz has already removed around 160 nonpolitical detailees from the NSC, sending them back to their home agencies to ensure alignment with Trump’s “America First” agenda. Critics argue this has sidelined subject-matter experts on critical issues like counterterrorism and climate change.
Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican member of committees overseeing national security, raised concerns about the dismissals:
“It raises eyebrows when there is a firing of people on the National Security Council or their staff, particularly people that we have respect for, who were part of the Intel community.”
In another recent case, Adam Schleifer, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, was dismissed shortly after Loomer publicly criticized him. His removal was communicated via a brief message from the White House personnel office without explanation.
