After Waltz Exit, Another 'Shake-Up' at the NSC

President Trump is ordering a major overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size, lead to the ouster of some political appointees, and return many career government employees back to their home agencies, according to two US officials and one person familiar with the reorg. The number of staff at the NSC is expected to be significantly reduced, according to the officials. The shake-up is just the latest shoe to drop at the NSC, which is being dramatically made over after the ouster early this month of Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz, per the AP. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as national security adviser since the ouster of Waltz, who was nominated to serve as Trump's ambassador to the UN.

There were roughly 395 people working at the NSC, including about 180 support staff, per one official. About 90 to 95 of those being ousted are policy or subject-matter experts seconded from other government agencies; they'll be given an opportunity to return to their home agencies if they want. Many of the political appointees will also be given positions elsewhere in the administration as part of the "liquidation," the official said. A White House official confirmed that the overhaul, first reported by Axios, was underway. Andy Baker, the national security adviser to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, an assistant to the president for policy, will serve as deputy national security advisers, according to that official.

The NSC, created during the Truman administration, is an arm of the White House tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy and coordinating among various government agencies. It has been in a continual state of tumult during the early going of Trump's second go-around in the White House. Waltz was ousted weeks after Trump fired several NSC officials, just a day after the influential far-right activist Laura Loomer raised concerns directly to him about staff loyalty. And the White House, days into the administration, sidelined about 160 NSC aides, sending them home while the administration reviewed staffing and tried to align it with Trump's agenda. The aides were career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees. More here.

(More National Security Council stories.)