Trump abruptly fires the 4-star general who headed the National Security
Agency
[April 05, 2025]
By LOLITA C. BALDOR and LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has abruptly fired the director
of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members
of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no
reasons for the move.
Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air
Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, the
officials said. They received no advance notice about the decision to
remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and
cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition
of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.
The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and
demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal
of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican
administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action
against other key leaders' use of an unclassified Signal messaging chat
that included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss
plans for a military strike.
It's unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.
Also fired was Haugh's civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.
The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the
national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not
give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who
insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The person said Noble has
been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for
intelligence.
The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. The NSA
referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department. The Pentagon
did not respond to questions about why he was fired or provide other
details.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, would only say, in a
statement, that the department thanks Haugh "for his decades of service
to our nation, culminating as U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National
Security Agency Director. We wish him and his family well.”
Far-right activist and commentator Laura Loomer appeared to take credit
Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haugh’s
ties to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration and questioned the
NSA chief's loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump’s first term but has since become an
outspoken critic.
“Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency
in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that
position,” Loomer wrote. “Thank you President Trump for being receptive
to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these
Biden holdovers.”
It's unclear what Loomer meant about Haugh's ties to Milley — who served
in the Army. Milley retired in September 2023, a few months before Haugh
took over at the NSA. Haugh would not have been a member of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff during Milley's tenure. As chairman, Milley could have
provided input or advice on dozens of military nominations for senior
officer slots, so it remains to be seen if any or all officers who were
promoted during that time are also considered vulnerable.
Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an “inside
job,” had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting
Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who
spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel
manner. A day later, Trump said he fired “some” White House National
Security Council officials.
Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent
a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.
“Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was
driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply
troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security
apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories,” Himes,
D-Conn., wrote.
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President Donald Trump, center, arrives on Air Force One at Miami
International Airport, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP
Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he
has “long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a
political loyalty test.”
"In addition to the other military leaders and national security
officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message
throughout the ranks: don’t give your best military advice, or you
may face consequences,” Reed said in a statement.
He added that Trump “has given a priceless gift to China, Russia,
Iran, and North Korea by purging competence from our national
security leadership.”
Another Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the
Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. was “facing
unprecedented cyber threats” and asked how firing Haugh, who has
served in the military for more than 30 years, makes America safer.
Haugh's firing sets off a 60-day process. Unless he is moved to
another three- or four-star job in 60 days he would automatically
revert to a two-star.
Any new high-level job would be unlikely since that would require a
nomination from Trump, who just fired him. As a result, Haugh, who
was confirmed for the NSA job in a unanimous Senate vote in December
2023, would likely retire.
Trump hasn't commented on Haugh or Noble, but on Thursday he
dismissed the National Security Council firings as normal.
“Always we’re letting go of people,” Trump told reporters aboard Air
Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday afternoon. “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.”
The firings come as Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz,
fights calls for his ouster after using the publicly available
encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15
military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.
Warner called it “astonishing” that Trump "would fire the
nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency
while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for
leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app — even
as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from
a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.”
Haugh met last month with Elon Musk, whose Department of Government
Efficiency has roiled the federal government by slashing personnel
and budgets at dozens of agencies. In a statement, the NSA said the
meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are “aligned” with
the new administration’s priorities.
Haugh had led both the NSA and Cyber Command since February 2024.
Both departments play leading roles in the nation’s cybersecurity.
The NSA also supports the military and other national security
agencies by collecting and analyzing a vast amount of data and
information globally.
Cyber Command is known as America’s first line of defense in
cyberspace and also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential
use against adversaries.
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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller,
David Klepper and Lou Kesten in Washington contributed to this
report.
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