From political leanings to online posts, Trump team tests civil servants' loyalty

Incoming

Trump administration

officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House

National Security Council

about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by Prez-elect Donald Trump's team, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
At least some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up belongings since being asked about their loyalty to Trump - after they had earlier been given indications that they would be asked to stay on at the NSC in the new administration, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Vetting began last week, the official added.
Trump's pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, in recent days publicly signalled his intention to get rid of all nonpolitical appointees and career intelligence officials serving on the NSC by Inauguration Day to ensure the council is staffed with those who support Trump's agenda. A wholesale removal of foreign policy and national security experts from the NSC on Day 1 of the new administration could deprive Trump's team of considerable expertise and knowledge at a time when the US is grappling with challenges in Ukraine, West Asia & beyond.
US NSA Jake Sullivan made case for retaining the civil servants, noting when Biden took office in 2021, he inherited most of his

NSC staff

from the outgoing Trump office. "Those folks were awesome. They were really good." Trump, during his first term, was scarred when two career military officers detailed to the NSC became whistleblowers, raising concerns about Trump's 2019 call to Ukrainian Prez Volodymyr Zelensky in which he sought a probe of Biden and his son Hunter. That episode led to Trump's first impeachment.