Incoming senior officials from the Trump administration have initiated inquiries into the political affiliations of career civil servants working on the White House National Security Council (NSC), according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. These questions focus on who the civil servants voted for in the 2024 election, their political donations, and any social media posts that may be viewed as controversial by President-elect Donald Trump’s team.
Career Employees Begin Packing Up
As a result of these inquiries, several nonpolitical employees have begun packing their belongings. This development follows prior assurances that these civil servants would be invited to stay on at the NSC under the new administration. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that many of these employees were caught off guard by the sudden questioning of their loyalty to Trump.
Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, recently indicated his intention to remove all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials from the NSC by Inauguration Day. Waltz’s goal is to ensure that the council is populated exclusively by individuals who support Trump’s agenda.
“The objective is to staff the NSC with personnel who are 100 percent aligned with the president’s agenda,” Waltz said. “We are working through our process to ensure our people get their clearances and navigate the transition process.”
Risks of Expertise Loss Among NSC Civil Servants
Should the NSC undergo a comprehensive reshuffling on Day 1 of the new administration, the Trump team could lose valuable expertise and institutional knowledge, particularly in dealing with pressing policy challenges in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other global hotspots. The questioning of these civil servants may also discourage new policy experts from expressing concerns or differing opinions on future decisions.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has made a strong case for retaining career government employees, at least temporarily, to ensure a smooth transition. Sullivan emphasized the importance of having a team that is prepared and up to speed to address ongoing global issues.
“Given everything going on in the world, making sure you have a team ready to continue serving from Day 1 is crucial,” Sullivan said in a statement on Friday.
Nonpolitical NSC Civil Servants Under Scrutiny
The employees under scrutiny at the NSC are primarily subject matter experts who were temporarily assigned to the White House by federal agencies like the State Department, FBI, and CIA. These civil servants typically serve on the NSC for one to two years before returning to their home agencies.
Vetting of these career civil servants began last week, with some of them being questioned about their political views by incoming Trump appointees. These officials had previously been led to believe that they would remain with the NSC under the new administration.
Waltz’s Vision for a New NSC
In an interview with Breitbart News, Waltz confirmed that all nonpolitical appointees at the NSC would be expected to resign as soon as the new administration takes office. He reiterated that the goal is to staff the NSC with individuals who share Trump’s vision.
“We’re putting in the requests to remove individuals from agencies and to return detailees to their respective departments,” Waltz stated. “Our focus is on creating an NSC team that fully aligns with the president’s agenda.”
