Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lambasted President Donald Trump for his decisions to hire “amateur isolationists” for key jobs at the Pentagon and to fire Gen. Timothy Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command, without any explanation.
McConnell questioned the reasoning behind these moves, telling The New York Times, “If decades of experience in uniform isn’t enough to lead the NSA, but amateur isolationists can hold senior policy jobs at the Pentagon, then what exactly are the criteria for working on this administration’s national security staff?”
“I can’t figure it out,” McConnell added, expressing his confusion over the administration’s choices.
McConnell and other Republican defense leaders are worried about Trump’s appointments of Michael DiMino and Andrew Byers to top Pentagon positions. DiMino, named deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, has faced criticism from pro-Israel groups for suggesting the U.S. doesn’t face significant threats in the region. Meanwhile, Byers, who was appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, has raised eyebrows with his views on China, particularly his opposition to deterrence strategies and his suggestion that the U.S. might need to ease its aggressive policies toward China.
The criticism intensified after Trump unexpectedly fired Gen. Haugh, a respected four-star Air Force general with over 30 years of experience in intelligence and cyber operations. The firing came with no explanation.
Adding to the controversy, Trump recently dismissed six officials from the National Security Council after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer. Loomer, a social media influencer, provided Trump with a list of officials she believed weren’t loyal to him.
Loomer had harsh words for Haugh, claiming he was appointed to his position by Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who reportedly called Trump “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country,” according to a book by Washington Post editor Bob Woodward. Loomer, who has criticized Milley as a traitor, posted on social media, suggesting that “bad actors” were entrenched in various government agencies, including the FBI, DOJ, NSA, and State Department, and vowed to expose them.
The abrupt changes and the criticism from Republican figures reflect growing concerns over Trump’s handling of national security and foreign policy staffing decisions.
