Trump’s National Security Council staffs up
Mike Waltz’s NSC team is taking shape, recruiting heavily from Capitol Hill staff ranks

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U.S. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL).
President-elect Donald Trump’s National Security Council team has in recent days finalized several additional picks, including David Feith, Walker Barrett and Thomas Boodry, in the lead-up to next week’s inauguration.
Feith, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will join the NSC team, a source familiar with the pick told Jewish Insider, as will Barrett, currently a House Armed Services Committee staffer and alum of incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s congressional office, and Boodry, currently a staffer in Waltz’s House office, another source told JI.
Politico reported on Monday that Feith will oversee national security and technology issues, while Barrett will handle defense issues and Boodry will coordinate between the White House and Congress. Feith and Barrett will both have senior director titles.
Feith, currently an adjunct senior fellow in the Center for a New American Security’s Indo-Pacific security program, focused on U.S. policy toward China and Asia at the State Department and Pentagon during Trump’s first administration. In a 2021 article, he raised red flags about Israel’s growing ties to China.
In another article, he described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “the hot opening salvo in a new Cold War pitting the United States and our allies against a bloc of revisionist dictatorships whose actions are increasingly coordinated,” referring to Russia and China.
Feith’s father, Douglas Feith, served as under secretary of defense for policy from 2001 to 2005 administration, and is a member of the Bush-era neo-conservative foreign policy establishment.
Barrett, previously Waltz’s deputy chief of staff, also worked for former Reps. Jeff Denham (R-CA) and Tom Rice (R-SC). Boodry is an alum of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Tony Gonzales’ (R-TX) offices.
The incoming NSC appears to be pulling heavily from congressional staff rosters — JI reported previously that Eric Trager, a staffer for the Senate Armed Services Committee, will be leading the Middle East portfolio under Waltz.
Joe Foltz, a staffer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will head the Africa desk, according to recent reports, and Andrew Peek, another Waltz staffer, will lead the Europe desk. Peek held a similar role in the first Trump administration and was also a deputy assistant secretary of state focused on Iraq and Iran policy.
One individual familiar with the NSC staffing said they were concerned that the incoming personnel may be less experienced than the NSC team at the beginning of Trump’s first term, noting that while Waltz is drawing heavily from congressional offices, many in the first Trump administration had extensive and varied careers and academic credentials before joining the NSC.
The source said some of the NSC picks could find themselves facing a larger challenge than expected, ultimately giving other agencies a greater role in driving policy in the incoming administration.
Trager, who has a Ph.D., is something of an exception, the source acknowledged. Peek also has a Ph.D. and is a military veteran who held senior advisory roles to key U.S. commanders in Afghanistan.
Another source took a different view.
“All the names I’ve seen so far are highly capable, thoughtful and experienced policy hands,” the source said. “What matters most is having authority to convene, and [having] forward-leaning aligned personnel ready to take the hill — the team Waltz is building has both.”
Waltz has said recently he plans to immediately dismiss all career officials currently serving at the NSC as detailees from federal agencies, due to concerns that such individuals may not be loyal to Trump’s agenda.
Politico also reported that Ivan Kanapathy, a veteran of Trump’s first NSC, will have a role in China and East Asia policy at the NSC.
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.