... The abrupt firing of the general in charge of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency drew sharp condemnation on Friday from lawmakers, mostly Democrats, who oversee defense and the intelligence community.
Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh was removed from his job on Thursday, reportedly at the urging of Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who convinced President Donald Trump to fire several staff on his National Security Council this week.
"The inexplicable overnight firing of General Haugh, a leader of talent and integrity, should leave us all feeling less safe today," said Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., a former Air Force officer and a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Haugh was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in December 2023 for his dual role as commander of Cyber Command, which oversees cyberspace operations, and director of the National Security Agency, the wiretapping and cyber espionage service.
He previously served as a top deputy at Cyber Command during former President Joe Biden's administration.
Loomer seemed to take credit for Haugh's ouster in a post on X, writing he had been "disloyal to President Trump" and "had no place" serving in the administration because he had been chosen for the job by now retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who clashed with Trump.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., called Loomer's involvement in Haugh's firing "outrageous." She also touted the removal of Haugh's deputy at the National Security Agency, Wendy Noble.
"Laura Loomer, a 9/11 truther, has no place anywhere near the White House," Bennet wrote on X. "The inmates are running the asylum." ...