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Less than 24 hours after an Oval Office meeting with Laura Loomer, during which the far-right activist and conspiracy theorist pressed for “vetting” of the administration’s national security team, Donald Trump has fired at least three National Security Council officials, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence on the NSC, was let go, the sources told NBC News, as well as two other senior officials: Thomas Boodry, a legislative director for national security adviser Michael Waltz when he was in Congress, and David Feith, who worked for the State Department during Trump’s first term.
In a statement to NBC News, Loomer confirmed Wednesday’s meeting, calling it “an honor” to present Trump with her “findings.”
“Out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m going to decline on divulging any details about my Oval Office meeting with President Trump,” the statement read. “I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of strong vetting, for the sake of protecting the President and our national security.”
Loomer confirmed Wednesday’s meeting, calling it ‘an honor’ to present Trump with her ‘findings.’
Waltz and Vice President JD Vance were also present at Wednesday’s meeting, two sources familiar with the event told NBC News. During that meeting, Waltz reportedly defended the members of his staff after Loomer pressed Trump to fire them, one of the people familiar with the meeting told NBC News. It’s not clear if Loomer targeted Walsh, Boodry and Feith during the meeting.
Trump’s national security team has been thrust into the spotlight after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic reported that Waltz added him to a high-level group chat on Signal about U.S. military strikes in Yemen. In the wake of that scandal, some have called for Waltz’s resignation.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes declined to comment.
The far-right social media influencer has targeted NSC staff publicly, accusing them of not being sufficiently loyal to the president. She has also taken aim at other Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi. In February, she was one of many on the right to express anger over the Justice Department’s rollout of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, which provided little if any new information. “I hate to say it, but the American people can’t trust the validity of the Epstein files released today,” Loomer wrote on X. She also called Bondi a “total liar” and said the attorney general should resign.
Loomer’s close relationship with the president came under fire from both Democrats and Republicans in the closing months of his 2024 campaign. Loomer has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and, in 2017, she said she’s “pro-white nationalism.” She also pushed false conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, alleging they were “an inside job.” Loomer’s remarks have been called “extremely racist” by another close Trump ally and conspiracy theorist, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who called out comments Loomer made about then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Although Trump aides and advisers reportedly tried to put distance between him and Loomer, they failed. In September, she traveled with Trump on his private plane to his debate against Harris in Atlanta and to 9/11 memorial services in New York the following day.
“No one can keep former President Donald Trump away from Laura Loomer,” NBC News reported at the time.