President Donald Trump has unexpectedly fired Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency and head of U.S. Cyber Command, without offering any public explanation, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress.
The sudden move has triggered alarm among lawmakers and national security experts, with many calling for immediate clarification.
Senior military officials were reportedly caught off guard by the decision, receiving no advance notice of Haugh’s removal. Haugh, a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, was also overseeing the military’s key cyber arm, making his dismissal particularly significant.
Adding to the confusion, Haugh’s civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, was also fired. She has since been reassigned to the office of the Defense Undersecretary for Intelligence, though no official reason for her removal has been given either.
The White House has not commented on the decision, and the Pentagon has provided no details despite inquiries.
NSA officials deferred questions to the Department of Defense, which has remained silent. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell issued only a brief statement thanking Haugh for his service and wishing him well.
The firings have stirred bipartisan concern, especially as the leadership vacuum at both the NSA and Cyber Command comes at a time of heightened cyber threats to the U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the timing “astonishing” and questioned how removing experienced, nonpartisan officials improves national security.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding a full explanation.
Himes expressed concern that the decision may have been influenced by fringe political voices, specifically far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Loomer posted on X, claiming she urged Trump to fire Haugh over his alleged connections to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration. She thanked Trump for acting on what she described as “vetting materials” and accused Haugh of being a “Biden holdover.”
According to several sources, Loomer met with Trump in the Oval Office the day before the firing, raising further concerns that the decision was driven by loyalty tests and political pressure rather than performance or misconduct.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) warned that the move sends a chilling message to military leaders: “Don’t offer honest advice or risk being ousted.”
He added that Trump’s pattern of purging experienced officials undermines U.S. national security and plays into the hands of adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
As of now, it is unclear who is leading the NSA and Cyber Command. The removal of a Senate-confirmed official like Haugh automatically triggers a 60-day window.
If he is not reassigned to another top-level role within that period, he would revert to a two-star rank and likely retire — an outcome seen as likely since a new nomination would need to come from Trump himself.
Haugh, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in December 2023, had recently met with Elon Musk, who leads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Their meeting, according to the NSA, was to align on administration priorities.
Meanwhile, Trump has downplayed the firings, telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday that “we’re always letting go of people” who don’t align with his vision or show loyalty.
This latest shake-up follows criticism of Trump’s national security team over the use of the encrypted Signal app to plan a March military strike on Houthi militants in Yemen.
Critics argue that, rather than disciplining those responsible for the leak of sensitive information, Trump has instead removed experienced professionals without cause.
Sen. Warner emphasized the broader risk of such politically motivated decisions, calling it deeply troubling that national security staffing appears to be influenced by conspiracy theorists rather than vetted professionals.
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