The director and the second-highest-ranking official at the National Security Agency was fired on Thursday, the Washington Post reported citing two current and one former US defense official. Timothy Haugh, who also leads U.S. Cyber Command, was let go along with Wendy Noble, his deputy at the NSA, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that Noble was reassigned to a new position within the Pentagon's Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. The NSA operates under the U.S. Department of Defense. Both current and former officials quoted by the Washington Post said they were unaware of the reasons behind Haugh's sudden removal from his position or Noble's transfer.
Shocking Firing
William Hartmann, the deputy at U.S. Cyber Command, has been appointed as the acting director of the NSA, while Sheila Thomas, formerly the NSA's executive director, will serve as the acting deputy, according to the newspaper.
The Pentagon and the White House did not offer immediate responses when asked for comments.
Both are longtime government professionals — Haugh has served over three decades in the Air Force, mainly in intelligence and cyber-related roles, and holds a degree in Russian studies. Noble has been with the NSA since 1987, steadily advancing through the ranks.
Republican President Donald Trump has fired several senior officials across U.S. agencies and replaced them with trusted allies since assuming office on January 20.
Elon Musk, who is heading the Trump administration's initiative to downsize and streamline the federal workforce, visited the National Security Agency last month for a meeting with Haugh.
The NSA is one of the country's top intelligence organizations, using advanced, specialized technologies and systems to gather and interpret intelligence. U.S. Cyber Command conducts both offensive and defensive cyber operations and oversees the Department of Defense's network security.
Trump Blasted for Removing Haugh
Democratic Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, slammed the decision to remove Haugh. "I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first — I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in this administration," Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
"The Intelligence Committee and the American people need an immediate explanation for this decision, which makes all of us less safe," he added.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the removal of Haugh "astonishing."
"At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?" Warner said in a statement.
