Trump Fires NSA, Cyber Command Chief, Fueling Security Fears

President Donald Trump has fired U.S. Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency and head of U.S. Cyber Command, in one of the first major shakeups of his second administration.

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The decision followed a White House meeting with far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who claimed in a Friday post on X that Haugh and his deputy – also fired – “have been disloyal to President Trump” and “that is why they have been fired.” Their dismissals were part of a broader purge that reportedly included multiple National Security Council staffers.

Haugh served in the dual-hatted role after assuming command of the military’s top cyber unit in February following the retirement of Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, the longest-serving Cybercom chief. Haugh was initially tapped to lead the NSA under former President Joe Biden in 2023, though his nomination was temporarily blocked over allegations the agency was purchasing information on U.S. citizens from data brokers.

Current and former federal officials described Haugh as a nonpartisan cybersecurity veteran and expressed concerns that the continued purge of federal cybersecurity workers, ousting of top-level cyber leaders and spending cuts to federal cyber initiatives have left government systems and civilian branch agencies more vulnerable to cyberattacks. The latest firings also follow a growing chorus of lawmakers, state and local officials and cybersecurity analysts sounding the alarm in recent days on Trump’s cyber rollbacks, which they say further expose the nation’s critical infrastructure to threats from foreign adversaries and sophisticated cybercriminals (see: Trump’s Cyber Rollbacks Expose States to Ransomware Attacks).

The staff shakeups, withdrawal of resources and uncertainty over federal systems and Department of Government Efficiency activity have left government networks increasingly vulnerable, weakening federal cybersecurity – especially on the civilian side, said Michael Daniel, president of the Cyber Threat Alliance and former Obama White House cybersecurity coordinator. Daniel told Information Security Media Group that Trump’s cyber policies have already done damage and warned that looming military workforce and budget cuts, particularly in cyber departments, “could have an effect down the road” in eroding U.S. military cyber posture.

Prior to serving as NSA chief, Haugh was deputy commander of Cyber Command and held multiple roles in intelligence operations, including as director of intelligence for the military unit and assistant vice commander of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance agency. Wendy Noble, Haugh’s civilian deputy, was also removed from her post Thursday.

A former senior cybersecurity defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Haugh’s dismissal jeopardizes U.S. military cyber readiness at a critical moment.

“Our adversaries are watching this chaos very closely,” the official told ISMG. “The last thing we need is to leave ourselves defenseless against attacks from Russia or China – who certainly aren’t taking any breaks or slowing down.”

The White House, NSA and Cyber Command did not respond to requests for comment. The dismissals were confirmed by the offices of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., respectively the top-ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees. Both lawmakers condemned the firings in statements late Thursday night.

Warner called the firings “astonishing” in a post on BlueSky. He called Haugh a “nonpartisan, experienced leader,” ousted despite Trump “still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app” (see: Report: Top Trump Officials’ Private Data Leaked).

“General Haugh has served our country in uniform, with honor and distinction, for more than 30 years,” Warner said. “At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?”

Himes also said he was “deeply disturbed” by Haugh’s firing, calling him “an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first” in a statement, adding: “I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this administration.”

Trump downplayed Loomer’s involvement in the dismissals, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he only “sometimes” listens to her and that she was not involved in the removal of NSC staffers.

“Laura Loomer is a great patriot. She’s a very strong person,” he said, adding that Loomer – who has claimed the September 11 terror attacks were an inside job – “makes recommendations on things and people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations, like I do with everybody.”

Trump’s closeness to Loomer has stirred controversy since the 2024 presidential campaign trail, when he traveled often with the 31-year-old right-wing influencer. Loomer spent much of her time along the campaign trail promoting misinformation and posting disparaging comments online about former Vice President Kamala Harris’ heritage.

Loomer claimed in her post on X that Haugh “had no place serving in the Trump admin given the fact that he was HAND PICKED by General [Mark] Milley, who was accused of committing treason by President Trump.”