US National Security Council thinned by recent firings, sources say

ByGramSlattery WASHINGTON(Reuters)–Atleast20peoplehavebeenfiredfromtheWhiteHouseNationalSecurityCouncilinrecentweeks,abroaderexodusthanpreviouslyreported,leavingpartsofthekeynationalsecuritybodythinlystaffed,twosourceswithdirectknowledgeofthemattersaid. Atleast15dismissalsoccurredaroundthefirstweekofApril,whenLauraLoomer,aconservativeinfluencer,presentedU.S.PresidentDonaldTrumpwithalistofNSCofficialssheperceivedtobedisloyal. Therehavebeenadditionalfiringssincethen,saidthesources,whorequestedanonymitytodiscusssensitivepersonnelmatters.WhileTrumpadministrationofficialshavelongenvisionedapareddownNSCfocusedonafewcoremissions,multipleNSCdirectoratesnowhavefewornostaff,includingthoseoverseeingLatinAmericapolicy,internationalorganizationsandlegislativeaffairs. TheNSCdismissals,whichhaveaffectedofficesoverseeingeverysubjectareafromSouthAsianaffairstobiosecurity,arethelatestexampleofpersonnelturmoilwithinAmerica’snationalsecu