Rubio Plans Major Cuts, Restructures US National Security Council

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, recently appointed as national security adviser, plans a major overhaul of the National Security Council (NSC) by significantly reducing its staff from approximately 150 to as few as 50–60 members. The restructuring aims to streamline the NSC's operations by shifting from a large advisory body making policy recommendations to a top-down system where President Trump directly instructs Rubio, who then oversees staff execution. Rather than firing personnel, Rubio intends to reassign many NSC staff to other government agencies, such as the CIA and State Department. This overhaul reflects frustration within the Trump administration over the NSC's traditional approach and recent security lapses, including controversies surrounding the previous adviser. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that these changes are designed to maximize efficiency and coordination with external entities. The downsizing marks a further diminishing of the NSC's role in Trump's administration, aligning it more closely with the president's decision-making style.