Members of White House National Security Council evaluated for ‘loyalty’
The incoming administration has queried White House National Security Council civil servants about their politics. Donald Trump, after dealing with officials who undermined his objectives in his last term, wants to make sure that members of this and other government organizations are ready to support his objectives. The article writers attempt to negatively describe this action while insinuating that Alexander Vindman “acted morally”.
From AP News:
Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trump’s team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump — after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.
Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, in recent days publicly signaled his intention to get rid of all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials serving on the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure the council is staffed with those who support Trump’s agenda.
A wholesale removal of foreign policy and national security experts from the NSC on Day 1 of the new administration could deprive Trump’s team of considerable expertise and institutional knowledge at a time when the U.S. is grappling with difficult policy challenges in Ukraine, the Mideast and beyond. Such questioning could also make new policy experts brought in to the NSC less likely to speak up about policy differences and concerns.
Additional Reading:
Madhani, A., & Miller, Z. (2025, January 13). Incoming Trump team is questioning civil servants at National Security Council about their loyalty. AP News. Link.
Category: Donald Trump, Government Incompetence
“A wholesale removal of foreign policy and national security experts[…] could deprive Trump’s team of considerable expertise and institutional knowledge at a time when the U.S. is grappling with difficult policy challenges in [insert intentionally failed countries and ginned up orgs, whom our gov’ment use as pawns].”
Save the drama fo’yo’ momma.
Time to put the firings in ‘top gear’, right Clarkson?
The “mandarins” who have been in place forever may need to go…but there is value to keeping experienced people. How many incoming administrations have staffed with enthusiastic inexperienced adherents – and have fallen flat on their faces? I assume the names Clinton and Obama bring back a few memories? There is a reason that there is a cliche “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
At some point using intuition or throwing darts would be a preferred method. Where that line of tipping be, I dunno but what I can tell you with near certainty we’s closer than ever.
It’ll get worse before it gets worse.
“It’ll get worse before it gets worse.” All the more reason to do whatever you need to do to…Prepare
I can understand keeping a Cadre of “qualified” people but who is to say whether the people there are “qualified”…in anything other than holding a TO&E slot and/or justifying their reason for being there? I also agree with David in the whole “throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” Personally, I’m of the opinion that at least 69% of the grubermint employees are entrenched “Deep Staters” that are nothing more than parasites on the grubermint teat and should be fired on the spot. They may not have “loyalty” to the man himself, but they should have “loyalty” (and respect) for The Office of The President. “When you work for a man, work for him. If you must disparage, backstab, or want to cause problems, then quit your job and disparage all you want to.” More importantly, a grubermint employee should have loyalty to the Constitution of These States United and do the job required to serve We, The People. After all…they work for us.
” who is to say whether the people there are “qualified””
I think it’s called a “self licking ice cream cone”. It’s a guild or priesthood, with arcane knowledge handed down from master to student that outsiders like us peasants just can’t comprehend. By the time they get to the NSC they are 33rd degree National Security Experts and Masters of the American Rite.
If you will recall, the democrat presidents since Clinton have fired everyone from the NSC and down to every US attorney fireable, once they come into power.
I remember the late great El Rushbo theorizing that “Blowjob Willie” Clinton getting elected POTUS was the last thing between gaining higher office or going to prison, because they have a very long streak of wrongdoing, and “BJ Willie” went on a firing spree like no other POTUS after getting in Office.
The rest of the D ones have followed his lead.
Ace of Spades website has more better detail on this, excerpting a Breitbart article. These “nonpolitical” appointees are referred to as “detailees”, being staffers from various departments (FBI, CIA, DOD, etc.) selected and detailed to the NSC by the political appointees, who are the people the Nat. Sec. Advisor brought in. So these detailees are selected not just for experience but for their..umm… politics. Alexander Vindman is one such detailee. Many of these detailees fought the first Trump administration, so this time they are not taking chances. According to the article, the incoming NS Advisor has his own team of appointees who have their own set of detailees in mind to bring in to the organization.
link here: https://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=413182
Scroll down to second excerpted article.
George V,
In theory, nonpolitical / apolitical employees in the various departments of the US Government should be fine, even ideal.
In reality, not too many of these (anymore, compared to the past),
in addition to those who aren’t, the moderate pretenders,
who hide it really really well.
Eventually, whether it’s the Book of the Fake, the Gram of the Insta,
the Tock of the Ticks, X for Twits, foolish indy podcasting,
or especially the department office water cooler,
their political leanings, goals, and nefarious agenda slip out.
“…could deprive Trump’s team of considerable expertise and institutional knowledge”
Good.
Would those be the people whose expertise and institutional knowledge got us a twenty year sentence to A’stan? Benghazi? Syria? Etc?
What a shame there are no other sources of expertise and institutional knowledge available—except the other “organs of state security” such as the various armed services, the various intelligence agencies, state department, etc.
Yep.
Shitcan the 50+ intelligence “experts” who all signed the affidavit that “verified” Trump’s collusion with Russia.
Once that’s done, yank all of their security clearances.
^^ This, in spades.
ALL security clearances should be suspended as soon as the holder leaves government service or employment. That means everyone from former Presidents to PVT Schmuckatelli.
You mean “PVT Snuffy” don’t you? I always thought that “Schmuckatelli” was a USMC LCpl!
Snuffy loses his clearance too, as does Airman Duffelbag!
That’s Airman Designer Luggage to you!!
🤣
Schmuckatelli is a LCpl and so was his brother and sister.
As there are bunches of cleared positions in industry, they don’t lose their clearances provided they go to work in one of those positions.
Shit-canning the same administration officials that were responsible for the Afghanistan withdrawal, the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza/Middle East ablaze, inflation, squandering billions on charging stations and internet cables is GOOD THING. Change my mind.
“Oh noes, don’t fire us, we’ve been here a long time, we know our way around Gooberment, we know how things work”.
Yeeeah…..If that’s so, then why are so many things still broken and worse?
I have the same attitude about politicians being re-elected..
It’s like bringing your car to a mechanic to fix the power steering and now the AC doesn’t work because he put a hole in the pipe. So you bring it back to have that fixed and now there’s a code because he broke the variable valve solenoid, so you bring it back…
I’ve done a chain of mishaps like this and paid for it, by.my.self. With those ‘goobers’ We, the People, don’t have a choice but to pick up the tab and pay further with the blood of our fellow Americans.
Done…? Yeppers!
Part of the constitutional amendment to impose term limits on the legislative branch needs to include provisions for limits on staffers to guard against what you speak of. I suspect that much of the heavy lifting to construct actual legislation is done by this unelected staff,
In many cases a team of staffers and lobbyists draft the legislation. The pols are too busy raising campaign money to draft anything more than a few pages of correspondence.
Beware the Ides of March!
The career employees fail to grasp that they are they to execute the current President’s foreign policy, not shape it or undermine it. If you don’t like the direction that Donald Trump is going, be a person of principle and resign. If you weigh the consequences and decide that it is not in the best interest of you and your family, then you have no principles.
These people have no principles or ethics. Exhibit A, B, and C: Eric Ciarmilla, and the Vindmans. Plus, half the people in the last Trump administration that were secret TDS sufferers.
P.S. The does the name Cassidy Hutchinson ring a bell? Pepperidge Farm remembers her “testimony.”
You mean that testimony that was coached by Lyin’ Liz Cheney?
In my former world, it was known as perjury, and Lyin Liz is guilty of subornation of perjury, plus violating the bar code that says you can’t talk to a witness who has.counsel.
Pissed Wyoming off so bad they essentially deported her from the state.
Those fucking morons on the committee accepted her hearsay evidence as fact, even though it was completely fabricated.
It was also absurd, with Trump riding in the rear where he could reach the driver area of the huge SUV.
Does that mean he’s a back seat driver 🤔😏
Vindman swore an oath to obey the orders of the president. He broke that oath and made up some shit on his boss. Trump did 100 times less that Biden did in bribing Ukraine. Fat boy Vindman said NOTHING about that. We watched this shit show in real time.
IMHO Vindman is just another turd in the DC sewer, and the only reason he can keep his head above water is that SHIT FLOATS.
Maybe he’s a witch. Witches float.
Vindman lied cuz he didn’t think Trump would declassify the call and transcript of it.
What Gropey did was blatant extortion and bribery.
Gee whiz, what a surprise. You mean this time, Trump doesn’t want a bunch of traitorous rats like Eric the Rat and the Vindman twins in his NSC, so they can leak info to get him impeached again? What a concept!
Who’s shocked that the 4th branch of the government, unelected bureaucrats, are loyal only to themselves?
Raises…………..finger!
“Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters“ itself should be a fireable offense. If you’re an employee who feels it necessary to speak on the condition of anonymity because you “have principles”, you don’t. Quit the job.
You could definitely reduce Pentagon staffing if that took place!
Sounds fine by me, remember how B. Hussein 0bama did all he could to rally his “Deep State” rodent minions to halt and Hamper DJT his first term in Office? I’m certain that he, Soros and the Clintons will be going full throttle against him again, so why not roto-root the DC sewer?
“…while insinuating that Alexander Vindman “acted morally””
My face:
AP News. ‘Nuff said, thebesig.