Three National Security Council officials fired by Trump

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has said he will get rid of any staff deemed to be disloyal, as it emerged at least three officials at the White House National Security Council had been fired.

“We’re always going to let go of people – people we don’t like or people that take advantage of, or people that may have loyalties to someone else,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One, without confirming names.

It is not clear why the employees were removed, but the decision followed a meeting between Trump and far-right activist Laura Loomer on Wednesday.

Ms Loomer reportedly urged Trump to fire specific employees whom she suspected of lacking support for the president’s agenda. More firings are expected.

The White House told the BBC that the National Security Council “won’t comment on personnel” matters.

Those fired from the NSC on Thursday include Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security, reports the BBC’s US partner CBS.

The firings follow a major controversy involving the National Security Council last month when senior officials inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal messaging thread about military strikes in Yemen.

The extent to which that controversy played a role in the firings is unclear.

Trump has so far stood by top officials involved in the incident, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who took responsibility for the Atlantic magazine reporter being added to the Signal chat, and said it was an accident.

According to CBS, a source familiar with the situation said the Signal incident “opened the door” to looking into staff members believed not to be sufficiently aligned with Trump, while Ms Loomer’s visit sealed the fate for those who were terminated.

The administration has been looking at outside meetings held by national security staff, reprimanding some for meeting people not believed to be aligned with the president, according to the source.

Aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Florida, on Thursday, Trump praised Ms Loomer and confirmed he had met with her, calling her a “great patriot” and a “very strong person”.

“She makes recommendations… sometimes I listen to those recommendations,” he said. “I listen to everybody and then I make a decision.”

In a phone call with the BBC, Ms Loomer said it would be “inappropriate” to divulge details of her meeting with Trump on Wednesday.

“It was a confidential meeting,” she said. “It’s a shame that there are still leakers at the White House who leaked this information.”

She texted a statement that said: “It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research 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 of the United States of America and our national security.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who posted information in the chat, is now the subject of an internal review into his use of Signal and whether he complied with his department’s policies, the Pentagon’s office of the acting inspector general said on Thursday.

Inspector general offices routinely conduct independent investigations and audits of federal agencies, and look into possible security breaches.

Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump removed many of the government’s inspectors general and has installed acting heads of the watchdogs at the defense, commerce, labor and health departments. — BBC