The Purge Of The U.S. National Security Council Has Begun

Trump speaks to reporters with US hostage negotiator Robert O'Brien after he named O'Brien as his fourth White House national security adviser [Tom Brenner/Reuters]

Washington Times: NSC chief slashing Obama's 'bloated' staff to create efficient, tight-lipped White House operation

The White House National Security Council staff is being downsized sharply in a bid to improve efficiency within the policy coordinating body by consolidating positions and cutting staff.

A second, unspoken thrust of the overhaul is a hoped-for end to what many critics see as a string of politically damaging, unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. Leaks of President Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders and other damaging disclosures likely originated with anti-Trump officials in the White House who stayed over from the Obama administration, according to several current and former White House officials.

White House National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien is leading the NSC reform effort. He revealed in a recent interview with The Washington Times that 40 to 45 NSC staff officials were sent back in recent months to the agencies where they originally worked, with more likely to be moved out.

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Update: Obama's NSC Holdovers Finally Booted After Three Years Of Non-Stop Leaks (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: President Kennedy's NSC had a policy making staff of 12. But when President Obama left the White House in 2016 there were 450!?!?!? These cutbacks should have been done in the first week of the Trump Presidency. But President Trump was elected without the support of the Republican establishment, and not having loyal people to fill in these positions has obviously taken a long time.