Top Intel Committee Democrat says firings at NSC and NSA were ‘uncalled for’ and ‘concerning’
Sen. Mark Warner criticized Laura Loomer’s reported role in the firings, saying, ‘I don't know of any administration that would let anyone with those views within 100 yards of the Oval Office’
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Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) addresses National Security Agency Director General Timothy Haugh, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Jeffrey Kruse as they appear during a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said on Wednesday that he was “deeply concerned” about the sudden firings of multiple senior National Security Council staffers and the director of the National Security Agency.
Warner made the comments during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the confirmations of several Trump administration nominees before pressing Joe Kent, the nominee to be director of the National Counterterrorism Center, for answers on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s knowledge of the firings.
“I was deeply concerned when the president fired the director and deputy director of the NSA and several of the senior staff at the NSC, including, I would argue, a number of well-respected Republican staffers, staffers who worked for members of this committee,” Warner, the top Intelligence Committee Democrat, said at the start of his questioning.
“All because of this individual, Laura Loomer — who claimed that 9/11 was an inside job; claimed that a weather machine controlled by Nikki Haley caused snowstorms in Iowa or Italy; that the first lady of Florida, Casey DeSantis, lied about her cancer; and that school shootings are staged. I don’t know of any administration that would let anyone with those views within 100 yards of the Oval Office, let alone giving the president a hit list of who to go after,” he continued.
Turning to Kent, Warner then asked if Gabbard was consulted about National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh being fired. “I was not aware of any conversations that took place, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen,” Kent replied.
“I just feel like if she wasn’t, I just would be even further concerned that you were taking a 30-year career veteran that had, I believe, almost uniform support. I think the firing was uncalled for, and I would be concerned if the director hadn’t been notified,” Warner said.
Warner sent a letter with 23 of his Senate Democratic colleagues to Trump on Monday requesting answers about Haugh’s firing and NSA Deputy Directory Wendy Noble’s reassignment to a new role. The letter was also led by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.
“Given the dangers facing the United States, it is inexplicable that the Administration would remove the senior leaders of NSA/CYBERCOM without cause or warning, and risk disrupting critical ongoing intelligence operations,” the senators wrote.
“Furthermore, we urge you to exercise careful consideration and consultation with Congress on any further actions that may impact NSA’s or CYBERCOM’s abilities to provide the critical intelligence and operational support to policymakers and warfighters,” they continued.