Trump White House Overhauls NSC... Orders 160 Civil Servants to Work from Home

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NSC Overhauled to Align with Trump’s Agenda

The National Security Council (NSC), the security command center of the Donald Trump administration, has undergone a major overhaul. Existing civil servants dispatched from other departments have been excluded from their duties and replaced with personnel aligned with President Trump.

According to the Associated Press (AP) on the 22nd (local time), Mike Waltz, the National Security Advisor leading the NSC, notified about 160 civil servants dispatched from various government departments to work from home.

Mike Waltz, U.S. National Security Advisor. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On his first day in office, President Trump banned federal employees from working remotely, which had become widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ordered them to report to the office. The work-from-home order for these 160 individuals runs counter to that directive and appears to be a suspension pending their return to their original departments.

The AP reported that simultaneously, the NSC has begun receiving career civil servants with expertise valued by the new administration, including personnel who worked during Trump’s first term.

According to sources, some dispatched civil servants were informed that their assignments would end early and they would return to their original agencies. Some had their White House email accounts blocked but were instructed to remain reachable via personal cell phones. The AP noted that the likelihood of these individuals being assigned substantive duties seems low.

Brian Hughes, a spokesperson, stated in a press release, "Decisions based on personnel reviews and evaluations have been made as of 12:01 p.m. on Monday," adding, "It is entirely appropriate for Advisor Waltz to ensure that NSC staff are dedicated to implementing President Trump’s America First policies, protecting national security, and using American workers’ tax dollars wisely."

Recently, Advisor Waltz told the conservative outlet Breitbart in an interview, "The people we bring in must be 100% aligned with President Trump’s agenda," and "Many NSC members are detailees from other agencies, and our team knows exactly who we want to work with."

Most NSC detailees are experts dispatched from the Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other agencies. Typically, they serve at the NSC for one to two years before returning to their original departments, continuing their service even when administrations change. However, this time, regardless of the predetermined period, those who do not align ideologically will be sent back.

Before President Trump’s inauguration, the transition team reportedly investigated NSC detailees regarding whom they voted for in last year’s election, their political donation records, and whether they posted critical comments about Trump’s election on social media, according to AP.

The AP explained that this move also aims to prevent another whistleblower incident within the NSC like during Trump’s first term. In 2019, President Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate corruption allegations involving Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, related to a Ukrainian energy company. Two military officers dispatched to the NSC overheard this call and blew the whistle, which became the basis for Trump’s first impeachment.

The AP pointed out, "President Trump is sidelining non-political experts on a range of issues?from counterterrorism to global climate policy?at a time when the U.S. is dealing with complex foreign policy challenges such as the Ukraine war and Middle East conflicts," adding, "This could reduce the likelihood that newly recruited policy experts at the NSC will speak out on policy differences and concerns."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.