President Trump has made significant cuts to the National Security Council (NSC), letting go of many policy experts in a move that has surprised staff. The dismissals occurred on a Friday, with employees informed at 4:30 p.m. and asked to leave by 5 p.m. One official, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the situation, described the cuts as abrupt and noted that the Middle East section was particularly hard hit, reducing its staff from ten to five.
The rationale behind this overhaul is to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy. Most of the responsibilities will be shifted back to their original departments and agencies. Another source familiar with the plan also requested anonymity to protect private discussions.
After these changes, the NSC will have a similar size to what it was at the end of Trump’s first term. The White House and NSC did not respond to requests for comments on the cuts. The NSC, which has primarily relied on experts from the State Department, Pentagon, and intelligence agencies, has seen its influence wane during Trump’s second term. Instead, the President has turned to other officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for guidance on foreign policy.
Recently, Trump also dismissed his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and hinted at nominating him for a position at the United Nations. This shake-up is part of a broader trend where Trump has increasingly relied on a select group of cabinet members for foreign policy decisions rather than the NSC.
In response to the staffing cuts, some former officials have noted that Trump has been trying to address what he perceives as an oversized NSC, filled with "holdovers" from previous administrations. This sentiment was echoed by Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser, who suggested that the NSC could be streamlined to around 60 staffers, a number reminiscent of the Eisenhower administration.
These changes reflect Trump’s ongoing efforts to reshape how national security is managed, prioritizing a more direct line of communication with his trusted advisors over traditional bureaucratic processes.