General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAP: Incoming Trump team is questioning civil servants at National Security Council about their loyalty
By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER
Updated 6:27 AM EST, January 13, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald Trumps team, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.
Trumps pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, in recent days publicly signaled his intention to get rid of all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials serving on the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure the council is staffed with those who support Trumps agenda.
A wholesale removal of foreign policy and national security experts from the NSC on Day 1 of the new administration could deprive Trumps team of considerable expertise and institutional knowledge at a time when the U.S. is grappling with difficult policy challenges in Ukraine, the Mideast and beyond. Such questioning could also make new policy experts brought in to the NSC less likely to speak up about policy differences and concerns.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is making a robust case for the incoming Trump administration to hold over career government employees assigned to the NSC at least through the early going of the new administration.
/snip

Lovie777
(16,537 posts)Irish_Dem
(63,715 posts)sop
(12,491 posts)Re-education camps are next for those who resist.
FalloutShelter
(13,020 posts)None of our allies will trust our alphabet agencies.
2naSalit
(95,196 posts)Don't some of these employees have a bargaining unit/union to protect them from this? There should be some serious litigation here.
Fight back!
Deep State Witch
(11,601 posts)Employees in the "three letter" agencies are not allowed to unionize, because of national security issues.
2naSalit
(95,196 posts)
GreenWave
(10,105 posts)Do you swear loyalty to Trump and Mother Russia or to Biden and democracy?
Irish_Dem
(63,715 posts)And swear your life to defend them?
Do you hate the US, democracy and all your fellow Americans except the MAGAs?
Irish_Dem
(63,715 posts)C_U_L8R
(46,187 posts)And make a formidable shadow govt.
erronis
(17,681 posts)everyonematters
(3,659 posts)Lonestarblue
(12,215 posts)Replacing experienced, knowledgeable staff with patronage jobs is a huge risk to national security, which will already be under threat because our allies are unlikely to share all their intelligence when they know Trump and his administration will share it with Putin, MBS, Orban, and all the other dictators he admires.
We are becoming a banana republic day by day.
johnnyfins
(1,681 posts)We are wide open to all manner of nefarious activity. This is serious shit.
yardwork
(65,414 posts)erronis
(17,681 posts)speak easy
(11,163 posts)Ferryboat
(1,103 posts)Just finished WAR by Robert Woodward
Behind the scenes, and in the room reporting on efforts to manage Israel and Hamas conflict.
Anthony Blinkin does amazing work in negotiations. His team is being broken up and replaced with political appointees with no skill nor the deep background of knowledge that is needed to talk freely and win the trust of world leaders.
TSF will be a bull in a China shop on the world stage.
The NSC is no place for amateurs.
Hotler
(12,647 posts)Would you kill someone on 5th Ave. if he asked you to?
Would you evict your own mom so he could have the property?
Would you give the President a handy if he asks?
Is the Constitution just a God damn piece of paper?
keithbvadu2
(40,915 posts)Civil Service exams under Trump.
surfered
(4,850 posts)These professionals have mortgages, children in college, etc. Many will have no choice but to bend with the wind. A lot of Germans did not intend to become Nazis.
allegorical oracle
(3,987 posts)prevents serious problems from occurring because s/he has seen them explode before.
This is probably the most dangerous aspect of this incoming collection of bumblers. And only because TSF is an idiot who will surround himself with inexperienced, inept people.
orangecrush
(23,042 posts)kentuck
(113,192 posts)...only better and quicker.
mainer
(12,286 posts)We need people to stay on so we have ears on the inside.
Hekate
(96,078 posts)Seriously.
The old word for this is purge
FelineOverlord
(3,788 posts)Im pretty sure this is one of the biggest tenets of Project 2025.
KS Toronado
(20,670 posts)Will we need to fire all the MAGAts tsf installed so this Country can have a chance at a working
Democracy instead of a loyalty to the king arrangement?
LetMyPeopleVote
(158,007 posts)James48
(4,704 posts)You want all voices in the room when shit hits the fan. Whether or not you like them, they have knowledge and talent that can help the USA.
The GOP is dangerously wrong to bounce out people who gave money to democrats.
Turbineguy
(38,717 posts)Violating your Oath is mandatory.
Heil Trump, our Glorious Leader!
Exp
(123 posts)Tetrachloride
(8,565 posts)Klarkashton
(2,829 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(158,007 posts)The officials/officers of our government do not owe loyalty TFG (aka The Felony Guy) but to the US constitution
Link to tweet

lostnfound
(16,838 posts)They know its wrong. They think the world is going to hell. They want to be cushioned and rich, when the scourges begin.
HereForTheParty
(600 posts)Step up and identify themselves? All we have here is an official that is familiar with the matter. It would sure as hell help
Martin Eden
(13,800 posts)The Fascist Grifter is a treasonous felon.