US NSA Director Timothy Haugh Was Fired, The Washington Post Reports

The Washington Post reported that US NSA Director Timothy Haugh was sacked, but no formal explanation was provided.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Timothy Haugh, the head of the US National Security Agency (NSA), was abruptly removed, citing two current and one former US official. Haugh and Wendy Noble, his NSA deputy, were fired together with Haugh, who was also the director of US Cyber Command.

Noble was later moved to the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence at the Pentagon. Requests for response from the Pentagon and White House have not yet been answered, and no formal explanation has been provided for the terminations.

William Hartmann, US Cyber Command deputy, has been named acting NSA director in the interim. The acting deputy is Sheila Thomas, who was previously the agency’s executive director.

Senior politicians have expressed significant disapproval of the action. Senator Mark Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Democratic vice chair, criticized the action and questioned President Trump’s national security priorities and decision-making. Warner posted a statement on X (previously Twitter) saying, “It is astounding that President Trump would fire the NSA’s seasoned, nonpartisan leader while still not holding any of his team members accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app.” Trump might be receiving national security counsel from “a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office,” he added, raising concerns.

Jim Himes, a Democratic representative, also expressed disapproval of the termination, pointing up worries about the increasing instability in vital intelligence organizations.

Since taking office on January 20, President Trump has changed a number of senior executives in several federal agencies, frequently choosing to appoint supporters. His administration, led by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been aggressively seeking structural reforms and cuts across government agencies. Notably, Musk met with Haugh at the NSA last month as part of that larger effort.

Operating under the Department of Defense, the NSA is a crucial aspect of the US intelligence community and is essential to cybersecurity and intelligence collection. US Cyber Command supports it by managing both offensive and defensive cyber activities, keeping an eye on Department of Defense networks, and ensuring national security.

The dismissals have sparked intense debate over the future of US intelligence leadership at a time when internal leaks and worldwide cyberthreats continue to be major issues.