Trump adviser Waltz fires officials who worked on Ukraine, Iran and DPRK
President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Waltz has carried out a large-scale "full review" of the National Security Council, removing dozens of officials who were involved in such critical areas as the Russian war in Ukraine, cyber espionage, and the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea.
This was reported by the Washington Post, citing a statement by the NSC spokesperson, Censor.NET informs.
Waltz announced that the dismissed employees must undergo a "full review" for compliance with the implementation of Trump's "America First" programme. The programme, according to the adviser, involves the efficient use of taxpayer funds and loyalty to the president's policies.
According to WP, on Wednesday, officials were notified to immediately leave the White House building, stay at home and wait for instructions from their supervisors.
"The decision by Waltz came so abruptly that it impeded the ability of some career officials to physically leave the White House complex because their badges no longer worked", said one U.S. official. "The awkward impasse required the Secret Service to manually drop the gates for those with deactivated badges," WP writes.
As noted, the massive suspension could seriously complicate the new team's ability to address key issues, as the fired employees had many years of experience in critical areas.
According to sources, Waltz made the decision after criticism from Trump's aides, who believed that he planned to keep most of the NSC staff. The next day, Waltz wrote on Platform X: anyone working under President Trump in the NSC will be fully aligned with his 'America First' agenda.
