In a sudden and controversial move, U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) Director Timothy Haugh was dismissed on Thursday, according to The Washington Post, which cited two current and one former U.S. official. Haugh, who also led U.S. Cyber Command, was fired alongside NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble.

Noble has reportedly been reassigned to a role within the Pentagon’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. So far, no official explanation has been provided for the high-level shakeup, and both the Pentagon and the White House have declined to comment.

In the wake of the firings, William Hartmann, deputy at U.S. Cyber Command, has stepped in as acting NSA Director. Sheila Thomas, previously the agency’s executive director, will serve as acting deputy director.

The dismissals have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, particularly from senior Democrats on intelligence committees. Senator Mark Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Democratic vice chair, strongly condemned the decision. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Warner questioned President Trump’s national security judgment, saying it was “astonishing” to remove a seasoned, nonpartisan leader while failing to address more urgent internal threats, such as recent leaks of classified data via commercial messaging platforms. Warner also voiced concern over the influence of what he called a “discredited conspiracy theorist” advising Trump within the Oval Office.

Representative Jim Himes echoed those concerns, warning that the move could further destabilize the nation’s critical intelligence infrastructure.

Since taking office on January 20, President Trump has replaced multiple high-ranking officials across federal agencies, often favoring loyalists. These changes are part of a wider governmental overhaul reportedly led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been involved in advising on structural reforms. Musk visited NSA headquarters last month and met with Haugh as part of those ongoing efforts.

The NSA, a core arm of the U.S. intelligence community operating under the Department of Defense, plays a crucial role in signals intelligence and cybersecurity. Its counterpart, U.S. Cyber Command, oversees both offensive and defensive cyber operations vital to national security.

The unexpected leadership change comes at a time of escalating global cyber threats and growing concerns over leaks within U.S. agencies, prompting serious questions about the future direction of American intelligence operations.