According to Tech Crunch, President Donald Trump has fired Timothy Haugh, head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cyber Security Command.
Haugh, a veteran military general, has only held the position for more than a year since his appointment in February 2024, succeeding his predecessor in retirement. During his tenure, he simultaneously led both the NSA - a key intelligence agency specializing in signal monitoring - and the Cyber War Command, a military unit that carried out cyber attacks against opponents.
According to The Washington Post and The New York Times, the dismissal decision was made after a meeting between President Trump and right-wing activist Laura Loomer at the Oval Office on January 3 (local time). Loomer is believed to have called for the president to fire Haugh and several other national security officials.
In addition to Mr. Haugh, Ms. Wendy Noble - Deputy Director of NSA and the agency's top civil leader - was also dismissed.
It is not yet clear who will take over the NSA and mang War Command positions after Mr. Haugh left office.
When questioned, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to comment and forwarded the question to the Department of Defense, the agency in charge of the NSA. The spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense also said that "there are reports but there is no information to provide at this time", and promised to share when there are new developments.
In March, according to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Elon Musk - the head of the Ministry effectively in the Trump administration - met Haugh at NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland. The announced meeting is to ensure that the NSA's operational orientation is in accordance with the current government's priority. Billionaire Elon Musk had previously called for a "reform" at this intelligence agency but did not mention details.
