President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through Washington last Friday, firing 100 National Security Council (NSC) members in a bold move that underscores his unrelenting battle against the so-called “deep state.” The purge came after former Obama-era National Security Advisor Susan Rice appeared on MSNBC, spilling details of Trump’s classified intelligence briefings—details she shouldn’t have had access to, given her revoked security clearance and departure from government months ago. For Trump and his loyalists, this was the final straw, exposing a nest of disloyal bureaucrats within the NSC who were feeding sensitive information to the wrong hands.
The drama unfolded when Rice, a longtime Trump critic, casually revealed on air that she now receives weekly updates on NSC activities, a bombshell that confirmed the president’s long-held suspicions of internal sabotage. A White House official, speaking anonymously, told Amuse that Trump realized the NSC was a sieve, leaking his briefings to the media through Rice, who “basically ran Biden’s White House” during her tenure. The president acted swiftly, axing as many as 100 council members in what some are calling the most significant housecleaning of his second term.
This isn’t Trump’s first rodeo with the NSC. Earlier this year, in April, he sent 160 nonpolitical detailees back to their home agencies, aiming to realign the council with his America First agenda. The NSC, once bloated with 395 staffers during his first term, has been a thorn in Trump’s side for years, often packed with careerists who resisted his policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has doubled as acting national security adviser since Mike Waltz’s departure, has been instrumental in this overhaul, shrinking the council’s size and shifting power to the State and Defense departments. Rubio’s influence, backed by Trump’s trust, has been key to rooting out what the administration sees as entrenched opposition.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer also played a role, having raised concerns about NSC loyalty directly to Trump earlier this year, prompting prior firings. But Rice’s comments were the tipping point, exposing a network of “deep state rats” that Trump couldn’t ignore. For his base, this purge isn’t just a power play—it’s a necessary step to drain the swamp and protect America’s security from within.
