Back in April, Donald Trump fired a trio of National Security Council officials after meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who reportedly complained to the president about the individuals’ alleged disloyalty, and urged him to cut them loose. And now, it appears she’s done it again. (Trump denied that Loomer recommended the terminations, though he acknowledged she suggested “some people for jobs.”)
April Falcon Doss, a lawyer for the National Security Agency, was removed from her position last week after Loomer amplified criticism of her, according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke to The New York Times. Loomer had shared a social media post about Doss that described her as a “far-left Democrat activist” and claimed that she “advocated for the de-banking and online censorship of conservatives.”
In a text message to the Times, Loomer appeared to take credit for Doss’s firing, telling the outlet that she had “reposted a tweet that exposed her last week and flagged it for the right people.” Doss, who worked for the NSA prior to becoming the general counsel, and is an expert is cybersecurity law, did not respond to a request for comment from the Times; the Pentagon did not immediately respond to the Times’ request for comment. In a statement, Senator Mark Warner, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called Doss “a deeply principled public servant,” and said “her dismissal appears to be the result of a politically motivated smear campaign driven by a far-right conspiracy theorist, not any legitimate concern about her conduct or qualifications.”
Doss’s firing comes several months after NSA director General Timothy Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, were removed from their positions following complaints from Loomer that they were allegedly disloyal to Trump. (At the time, the Times reported that Noble was “potentially reassigned to another position at the Pentagon,” though it’s not clear if that happened.)
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Dr. Vinay Prasad announced that he was stepping down as the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief, saying via a spokesperson that he “did not want to be a distraction” and was leaving to “spend more time with his family.” While Prasad’s short tenure on the job was controversial from the start given his years as a vocal FDA critic, the Associated Press notes that “in recent weeks Prasad became a target of right-wing activists, including Laura Loomer, who flagged Prasad’s past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders.” In a post on X last week, Loomer wrote, “How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???”
A Times profile earlier this month on “Trump’s blunt instrument” chronicled Loomer’s clout in the White House, and also included critics on the right, such as Tucker Carlson, who has also been on the receiving end of her social media attacks. “She’s like a child wielding a loaded firearm called Twitter.” Carlson said. “I don’t blame her. I blame the adults who take her seriously.”
