In the news from Epoch Times on January 23, 2025, it was reported that the national security advisor of the United States President Trump (former President Donald Trump), Mike Waltz, has reassigned around 160 White House National Security Council (NSC) staff members to their original units. At the same time, the new government is reviewing personnel assignments in an attempt to align them with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
According to the Associated Press, these government employees are commonly known as “detailees.” They were summoned to attend a full staff meeting on Wednesday, January 21, and informed that while they are required to remain available for senior NSC executives, they no longer need to report to the White House.
The National Security Council’s responsibility is to provide the President with national security and foreign policy recommendations.
Waltz had previously stated before taking office that he would send back the civilian staff members who had remained from the previous government’s tenure at the NSC to their original departments. This move aims to ensure that the committee is composed of personnel who support Trump’s “America First” ideology.
NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes stated in a release that Waltz “has committed to and authorized a comprehensive review of NSC personnel.”
Hughes said, “Mr. Waltz is ensuring that NSC personnel are dedicated to advancing President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda to protect our national security and wisely use American taxpayers’ funds, which is entirely appropriate. Personnel reviews and decisions based on assessments are currently underway starting from noon on Monday, January 20.”
Currently, dozens of employees are affected by this decision. They mainly come from professional fields at the State Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). These experts are usually detailed to the NSC for temporary positions lasting one to two years.
The exact number of employees who will be dismissed is still unknown.
The NSC was established as a department within the White House during the Truman administration.
The committee’s mission is to provide the President with national security and foreign policy advice, as well as to coordinate the work between various government agencies. Experts are detailed to work at the National Security Council, a practice that usually continues even when there is a change in the party in power at the White House.
During Trump’s first term, he faced impeachment due to the whistleblowing of two military officers detailed to the NSC, which led to his first impeachment. Conservative individuals have labeled the two impeachments against Trump as “political persecution.”