Media reports Trump ‘gutting the Deep State’ inside National Security Council
(MENAFN) The Trump administration has launched a major restructuring of the National Security Council (NSC), placing over 100 officials on administrative leave and significantly reducing the NSC’s workforce as part of a campaign described by insiders as an effort to “gut the Deep State.” Reports on Friday revealed that staff from nearly every NSC directorate—including those focused on critical regions like Ukraine, Iran, and the Indo-Pacific—were dismissed with very short notice, with some receiving only 30 minutes to clear their desks.
An administration source told Axios the move is a strategic attempt to minimize bureaucratic obstacles and centralize foreign policy decisions at the highest levels, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also acting national security adviser, taking a key leadership role. The official called the NSC “the ultimate Deep State,” framing the restructuring as a battle between Rubio and entrenched bureaucrats.
Rubio, known for efforts to downsize both the State Department and USAID, said the goal is to return the NSC to its original role as a coordinating body rather than a policy-making one. The staff is expected to be trimmed to about 50 people—far fewer than the over 300 employees under the Biden administration and even fewer than during Trump’s first term. Some entire directorates, including those handling Africa policy and NATO coordination, may be eliminated or merged.
Officials pointed to Trump’s recent decision to reverse Syria sanctions as an example of the new streamlined, top-down approach, where presidential directives are followed directly without the usual layers of committees. The shake-up followed the firing of former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who lost influence after a leak involving sensitive military information.
This abrupt reorganization, occurring just before Memorial Day weekend, represents one of the most extensive institutional changes in Trump’s current term, affecting both career staff and political appointees. The White House has not publicly addressed the staffing cuts, but Rubio is expected to remain in charge of the NSC with deputies Andy Baker and Robert Gabriel supporting him under the new leaner structure.
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