CNN —
The White House has fired at least three National Security Council staffers, three sources familiar with the move told CNN.
The firings came after Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who once claimed 9/11 was an inside job, urged President Donald Trump during a Wednesday meeting to get rid of several members of his National Security Council staff, including his principal deputy national security adviser, claiming that they are disloyal. One of the sources said the firings were a direct result of the meeting with Loomer.
Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong was not among those who had been dismissed on Wednesday, however, one White House official speculated to CNN Thursday that Wong could be out as soon as today, though a final decision remains to be seen.
Wong was one of the advisers specifically targeted by Loomer, who publicly questioned his loyalty to Trump and criticized him privately as a “Never Trumper.”
One of the sources speculated that National Security Adviser Michael Waltz may have been reluctant to fire Wong because he has been embroiled in the controversy surrounding the leak of controversial Signal messages related to military strikes on Yemen that Waltz and his team have been under fire for initiating.
The three officials fired include Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence and a former top staffer for now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs who previously served as Waltz’s legislative director in Congress; and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security who served in the State Department during Trump’s first administration.
“NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters,” NSC spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement to CNN.
Waltz had been in the Oval Office for other meetings when Loomer arrived Wednesday for an audience with Trump and stayed as the president met with Loomer. One of the people she specifically targeted was Wong. Loomer has publicly questioned his loyalty to Trump and criticized him privately as a “Never Trumper.”
“Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m going to decline on divulging any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump,” Loomer told CNN on Thursday. “It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my findings, I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of strong vetting, for the sake of protecting the President and our national security.”
The Oval Office meeting with Loomer, which was first reported by The New York Times, took place as the president and his economic team were preparing the tariff announcement in the Rose Garden.
Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff who was among the advisers who worked to control Loomer’s access to Trump during the campaign, was present for the meeting, an aide said.
It was unclear when the Loomer meeting was placed on the schedule, but the aide said the presence of Wiles and Sergio Gor, the head of presidential personnel, underscored that it was a sanctioned meeting.
Gor, who is seen as one of the president’s most loyal aides, has been among the advisers who has been fielding complaints from MAGA world about Waltz.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.
