Official NSC staffing reports or credible news sources

Trump Team Questions NSC Civil Servants' Loyalty, Plans Staff Overhaul

Jan 13, 2025, 02:30 PM

Incoming senior officials of the Trump administration have started questioning career civil servants at the White House National Security Council about their political loyalty, including who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions, and any social media posts that could be considered incriminating by the incoming administration. This vetting process, which began last week, has led some civil servants to start packing their belongings, despite earlier indications that they would be retained in the new administration. Trump's designated national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, has publicly stated his intention to replace all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials at the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure alignment with Trump's agenda. This move could result in a significant loss of expertise and institutional knowledge at a critical time, as the U.S. faces complex policy challenges in regions like Ukraine and the Middle East. The NSC staff members in question are largely subject matter experts loaned from federal agencies such as the State Department, FBI, and CIA. Current National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has advocated for retaining these career government employees to maintain continuity and readiness in the face of global issues, stating, 'Given everything going on in the world, making sure you have in place a team that is up to speed... is really important.' Former NSC official Alexander Vindman has warned that such an approach 'will have a chilling effect on senior policy staff across the government.'