White House sends 160 national security advisors packing

Mike Waltz, Donald’ Trump’s national security advisor, sent approximately 160 National Security Council aids back to their home organizations. This is a part of an effort to ensure that those who remain are supportive of the organizational objectives, as set by Donald Trump. Some of these individuals had their White House email accounts shut down the day they received notification that their services will no longer be needed.

From AP News:

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser has sidelined about 160 National Security Council aides, sending them home while the administration reviews staffing and tries to align it with Trump’s agenda, administration officials told The Associated Press.

The career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees, were summoned Wednesday for an all-staff call and told they will be expected to be available to the council’s senior directors but would not need to report to the White House. The council provides national security and foreign policy advice to the president.

Trump, a Republican, is sidelining these nonpolitical subject matter experts on topics that range from counterterrorism to global climate policy at a time when the United States is dealing with a disparate set of complicated foreign policy matters, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Such structuring could make new policy experts brought in to the NSC less likely to speak up about policy differences and concerns.

Additional Reading:

Miller, Z., & Madhani, A. (2025, January 22). 160 national security staffers are sent home as the White House aligns its team to Trump’s agenda. AP News. Link.

Category: Donald Trump, International Affairs, Military issues