Over 100 National Security Council Staffers Placed on Leave Amid Restructuring

More than 100 National Security Council (NSC) staffers were placed on administrative leave on Friday as part of a significant restructuring under interim National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. The Trump administration is overhauling the NSC team, with decision-making authority now concentrated at the highest levels.
Staffers were given less than an hour to clear out their desks, according to CNN. An email from NSC chief of staff Brian McCormack instructed those affected to return devices and personal items, with the subject line reading, “Your return to home agency.” This indicates that many of those placed on leave were detailed to the NSC from other federal agencies.
The restructuring follows the recent firing of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his top deputy, Alex Wong. Earlier this month, a controversy arose after anti-Trump editor Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a secure Signal group chat discussing sensitive military operations.
The overhaul is part of President Trump’s effort to streamline the NSC and reinforce a top-down approach to decision-making. Further updates are expected as the restructuring progresses.

Published: 5/24/2025