Trump and Rubio Slash National Security Council in Bold Anti-Deep State Overhaul

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are shaking up the National Security Council (NSC), slashing its size and shifting key responsibilities to the State and Defense departments. This bold move, coming weeks after former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stepped down to pursue the UN ambassador role, aims to root out what the administration calls entrenched "Deep State" bureaucrats misaligned with Trump’s vision.

Waltz kicked off the overhaul in January, sidelining 160 NSC staffers for a review of the agency’s priorities. Now, Rubio, juggling roles as national security advisor and head of the State Department, is doubling down on streamlining. The restructuring elevates Andy Barker, advisor to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, a policy assistant, to deputy national security advisors, signaling a tighter, loyalty-driven team.

The NSC, a White House cornerstone for guiding national security and foreign policy, is under scrutiny for housing long-term staffers seen as obstacles to Trump’s agenda. The administration’s broader efficiency push also targets the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with plans to fold its operations into the State Department, cutting thousands of jobs to sharpen focus on critical foreign aid programs.

Waltz’s exit followed his entanglement in a Signal chat controversy over Houthi strike plans, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His early focus on purging Biden-era holdovers set the stage for Rubio’s aggressive reforms, raising questions about how this leaner NSC will navigate an increasingly volatile global landscape.