Politics

NEW: Trump Fires Multiple Officials In Major Crackdown

Published

5 days ago

April 3, 2025

President Donald Trump has fired multiple officials from the National Security Council following an Oval Office meeting with activist Laura Loomer. Six senior staffers were let go in what appears to be a sweeping effort to root out individuals accused of disloyalty to the president.

The decision came after Loomer presented Trump with a list of names during a roughly 30-minute meeting on Wednesday, reportedly accusing several NSC members of undermining his “America First” foreign policy agenda.

The firings, first reported by The New York Times, included high-ranking officials such as Brian Walsh, the senior director for intelligence; Maggie Dougherty, senior director for international organizations; and Thomas Boodry, senior director for legislative affairs.

Loomer, speaking to ABC News, said in a statement, “Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m going to decline on divulging any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump. It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings.”

“I will continue reiterating the importance of strong vetting, for the sake of protecting the President and our national security,” Loomer finished.

Laura Loomer speaking with attendees at a “No Eminent Domain! No Carbon Pipelines!” rally at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa. Gage Skidmore

Present at the meeting were Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, personnel chief Sergio Gor, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) also attended but was reportedly there for unrelated matters.

While national security adviser Michael Waltz was not fired, his grip on his role appears increasingly fragile. Waltz, who joined the meeting late, reportedly attempted to defend some of his staff but was largely sidelined in the decision-making process.

Some insiders believe Waltz’s continued position is more about optics than confidence, with Trump allegedly unwilling to hand the media another high-profile firing. According to The Times, the atmosphere inside the meeting was described as surreal, with Loomer—wielding outsized influence compared to top national security officials.

One attendee noted that Loomer sat directly across from the president as she laid out her case for the firings with a stack of documents in hand. Loomer’s growing clout within Trump’s inner circle has raised eyebrows among Trump allies.

In 2020, Loomer was the Republican nominee for Florida’s 21st congressional district but lost to incumbent Democrat Lois Frankel. She also ran in the 2022 Republican primary for Florida’s 11th congressional district, losing to incumbent Daniel Webster.

While she has long been a vocal supporter of the president, her recent attacks on administration officials—including calling out individuals by name on social media—have had tangible effects. Among those Loomer has targeted in recent weeks are officials with ties to previous administrations or those seen as globalists or hawks.

Several reassigned or terminated staffers had already passed prior Trump administration vetting processes, adding to the confusion and concern among insiders. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the personnel changes, citing policy not to address internal staffing decisions.

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes echoed that stance, telling ABC News, “NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters.”

Still, Trump has publicly praised Loomer’s aggressive tactics, once joking at a Mar-a-Lago event, “You don’t want to be Loomered… That’s the end of your career in a sense.”