joshua steinman(🇺🇸,🇺🇸)
@JoshuaSteinman.1/2
I spent 4yrson President Trump's National Security Council– first day to last – and I fear there aremistakesbeing made NOW
re: NSC that will lead to four years of ineffective governance at best, betrayal at worst.
Out of loyalty to him, I am going public.
Here we go:
1/ Let me start by saying, this isn't aboutRep. Waltz or Alex Wang, who I believe love POTUS and mean well. (They are allowing this)
But it appears they are getting bad advicethat will have CASCADING and CATASTROPHIC impact on President Trump's ability to execute his agenda, end war, bring prosperity, etc.
2/First: WHAT IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL?Most people don't understand what the NSC actually does. Most people don't even know that its in the White House.
I'll lay it out simply:
If the President is the owner of the football team, the NSC is the Quarterback.
3/ NSC are a group of staff officers who sit in the White House, and whose job is to make sure that the "Departments" and "Agencies" of the United States GovernmentDO WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS THEM TO DO.
Their job is to make sure that what the President says, happens.
4/ When it comes to NSC Staff,PERSONNEL IS POLICY.
I'm hearing (from multiple people)that a significant % of NSC Staff have been told that they will be allowed to stay.(by the Trump Team)
This is a seriouserrorif true.Removing people like this isn’t personal, its just prudent.
Here's why:
5/ During term one, myself, @EzraACohen, +othersadvocated for rapid turnover of staffto bring in new blood. Fearing "Optics" of a mass firing,we were told no, and ~50% stayed. THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN DID, four years later. WE SHOULD DO THE SAME.
6/@EzraACohen Rapid staff turnover is CRITICAL.
Because if you remember, guess who stayed on (allagedly), during those early days?
>> the person who (allgedely) kicked off the first impeachment.
7/Many who stayed undermined President Trumpby PURSUING THEIR OBAMA GUIDANCE FROM UNTIL GIVEN EXPLICIT ORDERS TO STOP.
(Some who stayed were great.)
These civil servants had signed for a different POTUS.They weren't mission aligned.
THE PRESIDENT DESERVES LOYAL STAFF.
8/ Beyond the general fact of many NSC Staff being told that they can stay, there are specific NSC senior leaders –including my successor,Anne Neuberger– who are also angling to stay.
Once you become a “Commissioned Officer” in the White House, you are no longer a career civil servant. You are a political appointee. You have taken sides.
She oversaw the Biden Administration’s efforts on AI policy, tech censorship, cryptocurrency, and the handling of the major cyber incidents of the past 4 years.
I don’t know what was going on there, and tried to stay away from it all,but it’s clear to methat President Trump should have his own team of loyal staff to execute the new direction he campaigned on, across all of these efforts.
9/ Next: The people who are being hired. Many who have gotten the nod are great. But asignificant numberof as-yet-unannounced staffhave long histories of being vocally "never Trump," and working for prominent figures who have repeatedly undermined the President.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1875974603480416657.html