Latest news with #NSC
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's drastic NSC cuts spark debate: Does fighting the 'Deep State' put national security at risk?
As the White House trims over 100 aides from its National Security Council staff, some former officials and analysts are asking if the smaller team can meet the demands of a fast-moving and dangerous global security environment. Roughly half of the NSC's 350-person team will depart in what the White House is calling a "right-sizing" of a historically bureaucratic body composed largely of career diplomats – many of whom are seen as out of step with the president's agenda. Aides originally on loan from agencies like the State Department and the Pentagon are being sent back to their home departments. Political appointees placed on administrative leave have been told the White House will find other roles for them elsewhere in the administration. Some former NSC officials told Fox News Digital it's too early to tell whether the overhaul will result in a more efficient agency – or one ill-equipped to deliver timely intelligence for national security decisions. Trump Administration Plans To Overhaul National Security Council, Weeks After Waltz's Departure Privately, national security sources questioned whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently serving as interim national security advisor, might be paring back the agency to avoid internal power struggles once he returns to his original post. Read On The Fox News App Michael Allen, a former senior director at the NSC, said the staffing changes reflect President Donald Trump's desire for direct control over key decisions. "I think he wants people to bring decisions to him earlier than previous presidents," Allen told Fox News Digital. The NSC has charted rocky waters since it lost national security advisor Mike Waltz following the inadvertently publicized Signal chat. His deputy, Alex Wong, also recently departed the agency, and other aides who had a large impact on the administration's early foreign policy decisions were pushed out in Friday's restructuring. Eric Trager, the senior director for Middle East issues who traveled with envoy Steve Witkoff for some of his Iran negotiations, is out. So is Andrew Peek, senior director for Europe and Eurasia, who helped coordinate the approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Additionally, the restructuring will move Andy Barker, national security advisor to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, assistant to the president for policy, into roles serving as deputy national security advisors. "This happens naturally on NSCs, the kind of stasis we saw in the Biden administration is highly untypical," said Victoria Coates, former deputy national security advisor to Trump. She noted that President Ronald Reagan had six national security advisors over two terms as president, in addition to two acting NSAs. "For the president, he has legitimate concerns about the NSC from the first term, given what happened, and then, you know, there's no sugar-coating it: the situation with Signalgate was a problem for NSA Waltz," Coates went on. "The president is taking actions to get the NSC into a condition that he would have complete confidence in it." With a slimmer NSC, the president is expected to lean more heavily on Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for his daily intelligence briefings. "One thing that makes this administration unique is that it's the president himself and a small circle of advisors who truly matter and make decisions," said Brian Katulis, a former NSC official and fellow at the Middle East Institute. "They just don't see the need for ongoing interagency meetings like in previous administrations." Katulis added that the biggest risk isn't necessarily a lack of intelligence – but a lack of coordination. "Rather than gaps in intel or knowledge, what I'd worry more about is whether different agencies are singing from the same sheet of music," he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on Friday's cuts and their intent. One-man Cabinet: Marco Rubio Went From Rival To Trump's Point Man, But Can He Handle It Others argue that the NSC has become bloated and is in need of a reset. "The NSC under Democratic presidents grows to 300, 400 people," said former Trump NSC official Alex Gray. "It becomes its own department." "When I was there, we took it down to about 110 people doing policy – and it could probably go down another 50 and still be effective," he said. "Do you want an NSC that formulates and directs policy, or one that gives the president advice, lets him decide, and then implements it? You don't need hundreds of people to do that." But the NSC is the primary agency tasked with making sure other agencies are in line with the president's agenda. "Rather than preparing options for him, they should take his direction and implement it," said Coates. But, she added, "if you take it down too far, it's not going to have the manpower to implement those directions from the White House into the departments and agencies which are always bigger and better funded than the NSC." "How many heads do you have to bash together to get them to do what the president wants them to do? Our experience was in the first term that we needed a fair amount of heft on our end to get them to do stuff they didn't want to do, like designate the IRGC as an FTO, for example," Coates added. Even with a leaner staff, the NSC remains responsible for managing critical global challenges – from Iran nuclear talks and the war in Ukraine to military competition with China. That puts added pressure on Rubio, who will bear the blame if any crucial intelligence slips through the cracks. "The big issue is the national security advisor needs to make sure the president has all the information he needs to make a decision," Allen said. Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump's drastic NSC cuts spark debate: Does fighting the 'Deep State' put national security at risk?
Barnama
2 days ago
- Sport
- Barnama
NSA Has Duty To Find Additional Funding And Not Just Rely On Allocation From NSC
KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Council (MSN) has approved an allocation of RM334,020 for the women's rugby team in their preparation for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand this December. The NSC announced today that the allocation comprise a full-time central training package at the Petaling Jaya Cobra Club, allowances for players and coaches, purchase of equipment and participation in overseas tournaments. The NSC therefore, refuted the claim by rugby team manager that the allocation channelled to his team was insufficient and viewed his statement implying the meagre funding was inappropriate. bootstrap slideshow 'The amount of allocation provided is in line with the performance assessment of the current sports. Currently, the NSC is managing the programme for preparation of athletes towards the SEA Games,' it said in a statement. The Thailand SEA Games involves 40 types of sports that need full-time training and also phased training. 'Therefore, it is certain that the NSC will have to focus more on sports with medal prospects, especially gold medals at the 2025 SEA Games,' added the statement. The NSC issued the statement in response to an allegation by team manager Tan Thiam Jin that his team's preparations were at a worrying level, following the fact that the NSC-approved funds only covered training in phases for 14 days and one match over a nine-month period, which was published by a local media organisation yesterday. The council informed that National Sports Associations (NSA) also have the responsibility to find additional funds if there are other costs required by the national squad without pointing fingers at the NSC. -- BERNAMA
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump admin steps up overhaul of National Security Council, weeks after Waltz's departure
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are continuing to overhaul the National Security Council and shift its main functions to other agencies like the State and Defense departments. The latest efforts to slim down a federal agency come weeks after Trump announced former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would depart his post at the White House overseeing the agency and serve as UN ambassador. Waltz himself began the streamlining process in January, when, in one of his first moves as Trump's national security adviser, he ordered 160 NSC staffers off the job pending a comprehensive review of the agency's alignment with Trump's agenda. The current plans to upend the agency would include whittling down the size of the National Security Council, which the Trump White House believes is full of long-term, bureaucratic staffers who don't align with Trump's agenda. Additionally, the restructuring will move Andy Barker, national security advisor to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, assistant to the president for policy, into roles serving as deputy national security advisors. Axios was the first to report the Trump administration's restructuring plans. A White House official confirmed Axios' reporting to Fox News Digital. A White House official involved in the planning said Trump and Rubio are driving the change in an attempt to target Washington's so-called "Deep State." "The NSC is the ultimate Deep State. It's Marco vs. the Deep State. We're gutting the Deep State," a White House official told Axios. The National Security Council is located within the White House and provides the president guidance on national security, military and foreign affairs matters. Waltz's departure from the agency followed his involvement with other administration officials, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in the Signal chat controversy over strike plans against the Houthis in March. But Waltz had been focused early in his short tenure on the issue of what the Trump administration considers "deep state" infiltration of the agency. The former Green Beret and Florida congressman was especially concerned about Biden administration political appointees and holdovers assigned to the NSC from other agencies. Since Waltz's departure earlier this month, Rubio has taken on the role of national security advisor. That's in addition to leading the State Department and serving as acting archivist and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the administration is aiming to dismantle this year. Fox News Digital was the first to report that the State Department planned to absorb the remaining operations and programs USAID runs so it would no longer function as an independent agency. The move requires cutting thousands of staff members in an attempt to bolster the efficiency of the existing, "life-saving" foreign assistance programs, according to a State Department memo Fox News Digital obtained.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump's drastic NSC cuts spark debate: Does fighting the 'Deep State' put national security at risk?
As the White House trims over 100 aides from its National Security Council staff, some former officials and analysts are asking if the smaller team can meet the demands of a fast-moving and dangerous global security environment. Roughly half of the NSC's 350-person team will depart in what the White House is calling a "right-sizing" of a historically bureaucratic body composed largely of career diplomats – many of whom are seen as out of step with the president's agenda. Aides originally on loan from agencies like the State Department and the Pentagon are being sent back to their home departments. Political appointees placed on administrative leave have been told the White House will find other roles for them elsewhere in the administration. Some former NSC officials told Fox News Digital it's too early to tell whether the overhaul will result in a more efficient agency – or one ill-equipped to deliver timely intelligence for national security decisions. Privately, national security sources questioned whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently serving as interim national security advisor, might be paring back the agency to avoid internal power struggles once he returns to his original post. Michael Allen, a former senior director at the NSC, said the staffing changes reflect President Donald Trump's desire for direct control over key decisions. "I think he wants people to bring decisions to him earlier than previous presidents," Allen told Fox News Digital. The NSC has charted rocky waters since it lost national security advisor Mike Waltz following the inadvertently publicized Signal chat. His deputy, Alex Wong, also recently departed the agency, and other aides who had a large impact on the administration's early foreign policy decisions were pushed out in Friday's restructuring. Eric Trager, the senior director for Middle East issues who traveled with envoy Steve Witkoff for some of his Iran negotiations, is out. So is Andrew Peek, senior director for Europe and Eurasia, who helped coordinate the approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Additionally, the restructuring will move Andy Barker, national security advisor to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, assistant to the president for policy, into roles serving as deputy national security advisors. "This happens naturally on NSCs, the kind of stasis we saw in the Biden administration is highly untypical," said Victoria Coates, former deputy national security advisor to Trump. She noted that President Ronald Reagan had six national security advisors over two terms as president, in addition to two acting NSAs. "For the president, he has legitimate concerns about the NSC from the first term, given what happened, and then, you know, there's no sugar-coating it: the situation with Signalgate was a problem for NSA Waltz," Coates went on. "The president is taking actions to get the NSC into a condition that he would have complete confidence in it." With a slimmer NSC, the president is expected to lean more heavily on Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for his daily intelligence briefings. "One thing that makes this administration unique is that it's the president himself and a small circle of advisors who truly matter and make decisions," said Brian Katulis, a former NSC official and fellow at the Middle East Institute. "They just don't see the need for ongoing interagency meetings like in previous administrations." Katulis added that the biggest risk isn't necessarily a lack of intelligence – but a lack of coordination. "Rather than gaps in intel or knowledge, what I'd worry more about is whether different agencies are singing from the same sheet of music," he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on Friday's cuts and their intent. Others argue that the NSC has become bloated and is in need of a reset. "The NSC under Democratic presidents grows to 300, 400 people," said former Trump NSC official Alex Gray. "It becomes its own department." "When I was there, we took it down to about 110 people doing policy – and it could probably go down another 50 and still be effective," he said. "Do you want an NSC that formulates and directs policy, or one that gives the president advice, lets him decide, and then implements it? You don't need hundreds of people to do that." But the NSC is the primary agency tasked with making sure other agencies are in line with the president's agenda. "Rather than preparing options for him, they should take his direction and implement it," said Coates. But, she added, "if you take it down too far, it's not going to have the manpower to implement those directions from the White House into the departments and agencies which are always bigger and better funded than the NSC." "How many heads do you have to bash together to get them to do what the president wants them to do? Our experience was in the first term that we needed a fair amount of heft on our end to get them to do stuff they didn't want to do, like designate the IRGC as an FTO, for example," Coates added. Even with a leaner staff, the NSC remains responsible for managing critical global challenges – from Iran nuclear talks and the war in Ukraine to military competition with China. That puts added pressure on Rubio, who will bear the blame if any crucial intelligence slips through the cracks. "The big issue is the national security advisor needs to make sure the president has all the information he needs to make a decision," Allen said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nashville SC beats Chattanooga Red Wolves 1-0 to advance to the U.S. Open Cup round of 16
Nashville SC started strong in its quest for its first trophy. Josh Bauer scored the lone goal in Nashville's 1-0 win over the Chattanooga Red Wolves in the U.S. Open Cup round of 32 at Geodis Park on May 6. The victory put NSC in the round of 16, where it will travel to face either Orlando City SC or the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 20 or 21. Advertisement Chattanooga, which plays in the third-tier USL League One, hung tough even though Nashville dominated the ball and had the better of opportunities throughout. An 80th-minute red card on forward Alhassan Alhassan reduced the Red Wolves to 10 men and dealt a severe blow to their upset hopes. "You got to give credit to Chattanooga," Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said. "The way they were set up, the way they came into the game was really good, made it very difficult for us to play and get some rhythm. But I thought what we saw tonight is the depth of our team, and the versatility of our team was a nice positive." Nashville returns to action May 10 at home against Charlotte FC. Charlotte beat Nashville 2-1 in the team's previous meeting this season. Opportunity for reserves, young players With Chattanooga the second of nine games Nashville will play this month, Callaghan went with an entirely changed lineup from the team's most recent game, a 1-1 draw at Atlanta United. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake and midfielder Bryan Acosta made their NSC debuts, and center back Chris Applewhite became the first player from NSC's academy to start a game. Rookies Matthew Corcoran and Wyatt Meyer also drew starts. Advertisement Forward Jonathan Perez was a menace throughout the game, using his speed and creativity off the dribble to beat Chattanooga defenders on the wing. In the 18th minute, Perez cut into the penalty box and slipped while trying to shoot, but managed to redirect it towards Bauer, who volleyed it home for his third goal of the season. "He's been working really hard the last couple weeks," Nashville assistant coach Michael Nsien said. "He's showing really well in training, scoring goals, really demanding the ball, starting to show a lot of character, a lot of his personality on the field. He looked very comfortable today expressing himself. That's the Johnny that we want to see. "Josh, maybe he's underrated at times because he's kind of the center back-fullback profile. But he's very comfortable with his feet. When he gets in those little side pockets of space and gets a shot off, it can be a goal at any moment." Nashville can't add to lead Even with over 70% possession, Nashville was quiet after Bauer's goal, especially during the second half. The Red Wolves set up with five defenders and two defensive midfielders, which Nsien said limited space and forced Nashville's attack to the outside of the field. Advertisement "We were able to get ourselves into good final pass opportunities, spaces in the penalty box, but I don't think we executed that well," Callaghan said. "Looking back, we probably needed to get our runs a little more spaced out and try to open up a couple areas in front of goal a little better." MORE: Nashville SC creates new position for GM Mike Jacobs, extends contract through 2028 Taylor Washington injured The scariest moment of the game for Nashville came midway through the first half. Left back Taylor Washington had to leave the game with an injury when a Chattanooga player landed on his leg during a tackle attempt. Advertisement Callaghan didn't have an immediate update on Washington, who is Nashville's longest-tenured player and was making his season debut. Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@ and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: US Open Cup: Nashville SC beats Chattanooga Red Wolves 1-0
