President Donald Trump abruptly ousted the director and deputy director of the National Security Agency, the country's powerful Cyber Intelligence Bureau.

The Pentagon spokesman today issued a statement thanking the director for his decades of service.

The dismissals came after Laura Lumer, a right-wing activist, urged President Trump to do so.

Lumer is a self-described pro-white nationalist who has pushed a number of conspiracy theories.

Lumer appeared to confirm her involvement in a post on X, writing NSA director Tim Hock and

his deputy, Wendy Noble, have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired. Thank you,

President Trump, for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you, and thank you for

firing these Biden holdovers. For perspective on all this, we turn now to Stuart Baker. He's a former

NSA General Counsel and held a senior position in the Department of Homeland Security during the George

W. Bush administration. Mr. Baker, thanks for being with us. That's a pleasure. So I want to start

with your reaction to the firing of these intelligence officials, apparently for their perceived

disloyalty, their personal disloyalty to President Trump. The former NSA director, Tim Hawke,

we should mention, is a decorated general. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to hold that

position. What questions do these firings raise for you? Well, I am deeply skeptical of the

idea that there was any disloyalty on the part of General Hawk.

I knew him.

I did not know Wendy Noble.

And he struck me as a straight shooter who was just interested in doing his job and who had done it very well.

So I think the idea that he was personally disloyal is problematic.

I have difficulty believing that, and I suspect Laura Lumer overinterpreted the fact that he was

promoted under General Millie in the last administration.

That's just the way the military works.

...