By Sama Marwan,
Washington D.C., USA – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began a broad restructuring of the National Security Council (NSC) on Friday, May 23, 2025, involving a significant reduction in the size of the body responsible for coordinating and implementing foreign policy at the White House.
Five sources informed Reuters that staff dealing with a range of key geopolitical issues received termination notices on Friday. CNN reported that over 100 NSC employees were given administrative leave and less than two hours to vacate their offices.
The National Security Council, operating within the White House, serves as the central body for inter-agency policy coordination, assisting the President in making foreign policy and national security decisions.3 Its staff size has historically varied from dozens to hundreds under different presidents.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as the National Security Advisor, is implementing significant changes to the NSC’s structure.5 This move comes weeks after Secretary of State Rubio assumed the role of National Security Advisor, succeeding Mike Waltz.
This restructuring is expected to grant more authority to the State Department, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies, according to sources.
The change aims to reduce the NSC’s size to only dozens of employees.
Two sources told Reuters that staff being let go from the NSC will be transferred to other positions within the government.
One official described the timing of Friday’s move as “unprofessional and reckless.”
CNN sources reported that NSC staff had undergone interviews by the Presidential Personnel Office in recent weeks, as the office’s restructuring progressed.
Trump is balancing his options for appointing a new National Security Advisor following Mike Waltz’s ouster, reigniting discussions about the NSC’s role in decision-making and the extent of its influence.
One source mentioned that “among the questions asked during the interviews was: what, in their opinion, is the appropriate size for the National Security Council.”
The role of the National Security Council, typically composed of foreign policy experts from various U.S. government agencies, was notably diminished under Trump’s previous administration, and this restructuring is expected to further deepen that decline.
This development follows Trump’s dismissal of several NSC officials last April, after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who expressed concerns about the presence of what she described as “disloyal” individuals within the administration.
Rubio is expected to continue his duties as National Security Advisor for at least six months, according to Trump’s statements, with a permanent replacement for the position possibly announced by the end of summer.
