Secretary of State and interim National Security Advisor Marco Rubio just put over 100 staffers at the National Security Council on leave, telling them they had 30 minutes to clean out their desks and turn in their devices.
According to KTVZ 21, the restructuring of the NSC, which is in charge of “coordinating the president’s foreign policy agenda,” is apparently designed to ensure decision-making is concentrated at the highest levels.
Here’s more:
The Trump administration has put more than 100 officials at the National Security Council at the White House on administrative leave on Friday as part of a restructuring under interim national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to two US officials and another source familiar with the matter.
CNN previously reported that a significant overhaul of the body in charge of coordinating the president’s foreign policy agenda was expected in the coming days, including a staff reduction and a reinforced top-down approach with decision-making concentrated at the highest levels.
An email from NSC chief of staff Brian McCormack went out around 4:20 p.m. informing those being dismissed they’d have 30 minutes to clean out their desks, according to an administration official. If they weren’t on campus, the email read, they could email an address and arrange a time to retrieve their stuff later and turn in devices.
The email subject line read: “Your return to home agency,” indicating that most of those affected were detailed to the NSC from other departments and agencies.
On Thursday, Rubio convened a meeting with principals, which raised speculation that it was about the re-organization, the official said. And on Friday at 3:45 p.m., shortly before the email went out, senior directors were summoned to a meeting with Rubio.
A flurry of emails from those leaving then started going out with personal contact information.
Those put on leave include career officials, as well as political hires made during the Trump administration.
Rubio is essentially President President Trump’s right-hand man right now and he’s continuing to knock it out of the park.