Lt. Gen. William Hartman has been named acting director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and acting commander of U.S. Cyber Command following the Trump administration’s removal of Gen. Timothy Haugh from leadership of both organizations.
NSA revealed the leadership change on its website today and said Gen. Hartman assumed his new duties on April 3.
“LTG Hartman brings extensive military experience and a strong commitment to mission execution in support of strengthening our national security. Under his leadership, U.S. Cyber Command remains ready to execute cyber operations in accordance with the President and Secretary of Defense’s priorities,” a spokesperson for CYBERCOM told Meritalk.
LTG. Hartman’s previous post was commander of the Cyber National Mission Force, which was created in 2014 as a unit of U.S. Cyber Command with a mission to plan and direct cyberspace operations against U.S. cyber adversaries.
The circumstances of Gen. Haugh’s dismissal remain murky, with no substantive comments today on the change from either the White House or the Defense Department.
The Trump Administration informed the Senate Intelligence Committee last night of Gen. Haugh’s dismissal.
That notification was confirmed today by the office of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who is the top Democrat on the committee.
Also missing today from NSA’s leadership roster is NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble.
The agency now lists Sheila Thomas as the acting deputy director. Most recently, Thomas represented NSA in its cryptologic partnership with the United Kingdom as the Special United States Liaison Officer, London (SUSLOL). She also was director of NSA’s Engagement & Policy Directorate.
When asked for comment about Gen. Haugh’s dismissal, the NSA referred inquiries to the Pentagon, where a spokesperson stated, “We’ve seen the reports but have nothing to offer at this time. We will provide more information when it becomes available.”
Gen. Haugh, a military veteran with over 30 years of service, assumed leadership of NSA and Cyber Command in February 2024, following the departure of his predecessor Gen. Paul Nakasone.
Democratic lawmakers took to social media to condemn Gen. Haugh’s dismissal and demand an explanation from the Trump administration.
In a X post, Sen. Warner questioned how firing Gen. Haugh protects the American public against a growing number of cyberattacks.
“At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?” he wrote.
“It is astonishing that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the NSA while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app,” the senator wrote in a separate post.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who is ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, took to Facebook demanding that the administration explain to the American public why Gen. Haugh was fired.
“I am deeply disturbed by the decision to remove General Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency … The Intelligence Committee and the American people need an immediate explanation for this decision, which makes all of us less safe,” he wrote.