The Director of the United States National Security Agency (NSA), Timothy Haugh, was dismissed on Thursday, according to reports citing multiple current and former officials. The reason for his removal remains undisclosed.
Haugh, who also headed the US Cyber Command, was dismissed alongside his deputy, Wendy Noble. Noble has been reassigned to a position within the Pentagon’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.
Officials familiar with the matter stated that they were unaware of the reasons behind Haugh’s removal or Noble’s reassignment.
Following Haugh’s departure, US Cyber Command deputy William Hartmann has been appointed as acting NSA director, while Sheila Thomas, formerly the NSA’s executive director, has been named acting deputy.
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has issued an official statement regarding the matter.
Several lawmakers criticized the decision, with Representative Jim Himes and Senator Mark Warner expressing concern over the dismissal. Warner stated that it was “astonishing” that President Donald Trump had removed the NSA’s experienced leadership while failing to take action against officials allegedly involved in leaking classified information. He also accused the administration of making national security staffing decisions based on questionable advice.
Since taking office on January 20, President Trump has dismissed multiple senior officials across government agencies, replacing them with individuals considered loyal to his administration.
Last month, Elon Musk, who is leading the administration’s efforts to reduce and streamline the federal workforce, visited the NSA headquarters and met with Haugh.
The NSA is one of the United States’ top intelligence agencies, specializing in advanced technological surveillance and intelligence gathering. Meanwhile, the US Cyber Command is responsible for defensive and offensive cyber operations, as well as monitoring Department of Defense networks.
