The Trump administration placed a dramatic number of National Security Council staffers on administrative leave Friday as part of an agency overhaul, multiple outlets reported.
The house-cleaning was reportedly overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who’s also serving as interim national security adviser following Mike Waltz’s ouster.
A White House official told Axios that about half the department’s 350 members were removed as part of an effort to scale back a department packed with employees who don’t align with President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
“The NSC is the ultimate Deep State,” a White House official told Axios. “It’s Marco vs. the Deep State. We’re gutting the Deep State,” the official said, noting that people removed from the NSC will be placed in other government roles.
Rubio also oversaw massive cuts at the State Department last month.
