US President Donald Trump fired National Security Agency (NSA) Director Timothy Haugh on Thursday, April 3. According to reports, Haugh, who also served as the chief of US Cyber Command, was removed alongside NSA Deputy Wendy Noble. Noble has been reappointed within the Pentagon’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.
William Hartmann has replaced Haugh as the acting director of the NSA. Hartmann is also the deputy commander at US Cyber Command. According to a TOI report, Sheila Thomas, formerly the agency’s executive director, is stepping in as the acting deputy.
However, the reason behind Timothy Haugh's dismissal remains unclear. Democratic Representative Jim Himes, who serves as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, condemned the decision to terminate Haugh’s tenure. The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking comment on the matter.d
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Since being sworn in as US President, the Donald Trump administration has dismissed several high-ranking officials across various federal agencies and replaced them with individuals seen as loyal to his administration.
Ranking Member Jim Himes issued a statement on the firing of NSA Director General Timothy Haugh. "I am deeply disturbed by the decision to remove General Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency. I have known General Haugh to be an honest and forthright leader who followed the law and put national security first. I fear those are precisely the qualities that could lead to his firing in the Administration," said Himes in a statement.
"The Intelligence Committee and the American people need an immediate explanation for this decision, which makes all of us less safe," he added.