The Donald Trump administration has fired the head of both the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, the BBC’s US partner CBS has reported.
The removal of General Timothy Haugh came amid what appears to be a wider purge of top security officials at the agency and at the White House.
Democrats have said they were “deeply disturbed” by the move and said it jeopardised national security.
It is not clear why Gen Haugh was removed, but it came after a meeting between President Donald Trump and far-right activist Laura Loomer on Wednesday.
Ms Loomer reportedly urged Trump to fire specific employees whom she suspected lacked support for his agenda.
She posted on X that Gen Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble, who US media reported was also sacked, “have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired.”
Trump, meanwhile, has denied that Ms Loomer played a role in the firings.
Before the firings were reported, Trump told reporters he would get rid of any staff deemed to be disloyal.
“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.
When asked whether Ms Loomer played a role, he said: “No, not at all.”
Trump made the comments as reports emerged of the firings of at least three other officials at the White House National Security Council (NSC), following the reported meeting with Ms Loomer. The president did not confirm names.
The National Security Agency (NSA) referred the BBC to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs for comment, which said on Friday it had seen the reports but had nothing to offer at this time, and would provide more information when it became available.
The White House previously told the BBC that the NSC “won’t comment on personnel” matters.
The top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees – Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence – disclosed Gen Haugh’s firing to CBS.
Himes said in a statement that he was “deeply disturbed” by the decision, CBS reported.
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