Although General Timothy Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency, was reportedly not informed of the reason for his precipitous dismissal this week, a far-right activist who advocated for President Donald Trump to remove him provided a possible explanation: his purported associations with retired Army general and Trump critic Mark Milley.

Although General Timothy Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency, was reportedly not informed of the reason for his precipitous dismissal this week, a far-right activist who advocated for President Donald Trump to remove him provided a possible explanation: his purported associations with retired Army general and Trump critic Mark Milley.

Laura Loomer, a conspiracy theorist, accused Haugh of being “HAND PICKED by General Milley” in an X post on Friday, without providing any evidence. This sparked a wave of speculation among current and former Pentagon officials regarding who might be the next in line, as Milley collaborated with hundreds of individuals over the course of a four-decade military career.

Many current and former officials expressed concern that any national security official could be suspected of disloyalty by Trump’s inner circle due to their perceived connections to officials who have fallen out of favour or simply for having served in key roles during Joe Biden’s presidency.

A former senior official expressed concern for the future of all four-star generals and enquired whether Loomer would pursue other officials whose promotions or nominations could be indirectly or directly associated with Milley, even if the connection is tenuous.

Loomer stated on X, “I will be disclosing additional names of individuals who should not be included in the Trump administration due to their questionable loyalty and previous attacks on President Trump.”
For an extended period, uniformed military personnel have taken pride in their ability to execute U.S. government policy without bias. However, Democratic legislators contended that the firings demonstrated Trump’s readiness to exchange an apolitical military for one that was more loyal to him.

Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated, “He is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: don’t give your best military advice, or you may face consequences.”

The termination of Haugh, in addition to that of NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble and at least 10 members of the White House national security council, was indicative of an unpredictable and potentially escalating national security purge.

General C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been terminated, along with other admirals, generals, and security personnel, in recent weeks.

Many more leaders could be vulnerable if ties to Milley are a diagnostic test for loyalty in Trump’s administration, a possibility that was first reported by Reuters.

General Michael Kurilla, who commands U.S. forces in the Middle East, and General Christopher Cavoli, who supervises U.S. soldiers in Europe, are among the individuals who were promoted during Milley’s tenure. Both are on the brink of retirement.
According to officials, General James Mingus, the Army vice chief of staff, and Major General James Work, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, are also considered potential targets.
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