The Trump administration has put multiple officials at the National Security Council at the White House on administrative leave on Friday as part of a restructuring under interim National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to two US officials and another source familiar with the matter.
CNN previously reported that a significant overhaul of the body in charge of coordinating the president’s foreign policy agenda was expected in the coming days, including a staff reduction and a reinforced top-down approach with decision-making concentrated at the highest levels.
Officials were given less than hour to clean out their desks, two of the sources said.
Those put on leave include career officials, as well as political hires made during the Trump administration.
In recent weeks staffers were being re-interviewed by the Office of the Presidential Personnel as the reshaping of the office was taking place, sources said. One of the questions asked was what officials thought was the appropriate size of the NSC, one source said.
Staffed by foreign policy experts from across the US government, the NSC typically serves as a critical body for coordinating the president’s foreign policy agenda.
But under President Donald Trump, the NSC’s role has been diminished, with the pending overhaul expected to further reduce its importance in the White House.
CNN’s Katie Bo Lillis contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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