US President Donald Trump has summarily fired Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, head of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and US Cyber Command (Cybercom), along with Haugh’s civilian deputy, Wendy Noble.
The firing of these top intel leaders took place at the instigation of Laura Loomer, a controversial right-wing influencer noted for her embrace of conspiracy theories and advocacy of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim positions.
Loomer boasted about the firing of Haugh. In a post on X, she wrote, “NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired. As a Biden appointee, General Haugh had no place serving in the Trump admin given the fact that he was HAND PICKED by General Milley, who was accused of committing treason by President Trump. Why would we want an NSA Director who was referred to Biden after being hand selected by Milley, who told China he would side with them over Trump!?!?”
Neither Haugh nor Noble was reportedly informed of the reason for their termination — they were simply told that “your services are no longer required.” Haugh allegedly learned of his dismissal while traveling.
Sources say that Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, the Cyber Command deputy, will now serve as the acting NSA director, and Sheila Thomas, the former executive director at the NSA, will succeed Noble as the acting deputy.
Lawmakers and experts slam the firing of a well-respected leader
Haugh has served in his dual role of NSA and Cybercom director since February 2024. He has over thirty years of top-level military and intelligence experience, with a long and distinguished career as an Air Force officer, general, and commander.
Before he assumed the top roles at NSA and Cybercom, he served for two years as Deputy Commander of US Cyber Command. During that time, he ran Cyber Command’s half of the “Russia Small Group,” a joint effort with the NSA to defend the 2018 midterm elections from Russian interference. Anne Neuberger, who later served in the Biden administration as a deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, ran the NSA’s half of that group.
Democratic lawmakers quickly condemned Haugh’s firing. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said, “At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyberthreats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?”
Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Jim Himes said, “I am deeply disturbed by the decision to remove General Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency. I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first — I fear that those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this Administration. The Intelligence Community and the American people need an immediate explanation for this decision, which makes all of us less safe.”
Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral and now senior director of the Center on Cyber and Tech Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told CSO, “General Tim Haugh was a superb leader of both NSA and US Cyber Command. Tim is a well-regarded professional and proven cyberwarrior whose only fault appears to be that he properly executed the lawful orders of the last commander-in-chief. The military has lots of great leaders — but not enough to wantonly fire ones without good cause.”
Key NSC aides were also fired.
The dismissal of Haugh and Noble follows the firing of key aides on the National Security Council.
The fired NSC leaders include David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security; Brian Walsh, senior director for intelligence; Maggie Dougherty, senior director for international organizations; and Thomas Boodry, senior director for legislative affairs.
Trump called Loomer “a great patriot” who makes recommendations on people and “sometimes I listen to those recommendations.” Yet, he denied that she was involved in the dismissals of the NSC aides.
It’s unclear why the NSC officials were fired. On X, Loomer said she believed the officials were “disloyal people who have played a role in sabotaging Donald Trump.”