Loyalty purge: Trump axes national security staff after activist’s Oval pitch

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump has begun firing several senior officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC), following a meeting in which conservative activist Laura Loomer presented a list of staffers she claimed were not loyal enough to his administration, according to sources who spoke with the Associated Press.

The dramatic shake-up, which was not publicly announced by the White House, comes after Loomer’s private Oval Office briefing on Wednesday. Present in the room were Vice President JD Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Presidential Personnel Office director Sergio Gor, the sources said.

Though NSC spokesman Brian Hughes declined to comment on the alleged firings or the meeting, the removals are believed to target staff members whom Loomer identified as disloyal to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda. Loomer has openly criticized certain NSC personnel on social media and accused them of undermining the president’s policies.

Loomer, a far-right figure known for promoting conspiracy theories, has increasingly influenced Trump’s inner circle. During the 2024 campaign, she was a constant presence at rallies and on conservative platforms, rallying against perceived "deep state" holdovers in key government posts.

The NSC shake-up follows another controversy involving Waltz, who admitted to organizing a text thread on the encrypted app Signal to coordinate a 15 March military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen. The situation escalated when journalist Jeffrey Rosenberg of The Atlantic was mistakenly added to the group chat, exposing sensitive operational details such as aircraft movements and strike timing.

Waltz accepted responsibility for the error but claimed he was unsure how Rosenberg was included. The revelation has intensified scrutiny over operational security practices within Trump’s administration.

While Trump has not publicly commented on either matter, sources close to the White House say more changes could follow as the president seeks to reinforce loyalty ahead of critical foreign policy decisions.