Analysis
Editor’s Note: As of 1:35pm ET on April 9, 2025, both General Haugh and Vice Admiral Chatfield are still listed on the NSA and U.S. Navy websites in the positions they have reportedly been removed from.
The “Plucking” of the General/Flag Officer Corp in the U.S. Military is proceeding briskly. For context, there is ample legal authority and precedence for mass firings in the senior uniformed ranks of the U.S. Military. Plucking happened during the Civil War, World War I, and in at least two major waves during the World War II era. These officers serve at the wishes of a President and if a President loses confidence in them, they can be removed.
After a meeting between President Trump and Laura Loomer, General William Haugh, Director of both the National Security Agency and Cyber Command was removed. Laura took credit for this in her “X” post, where she said,
“As a Biden appointee, General Haugh had no place serving in the Trump admin given the fact that he was HAND PICKED by General Milley, who was accused of committing treason by President Trump. Why would we want an NSA Director who was referred to Biden after being hand selected by Milley, who told China he would side with them over Trump!?!?”
Like her or not, there is truth in Loomer’s comment. General Milley as the senior uniformed Officer in the United States Military, did “Hand Pick” General Haugh. Milley was the hand picker and final decision maker on all Three and Four-Star Generals and Admirals. There was little doubt on where Milley stood on Trump.
General Haugh appears to be losing the Salt Typhoon Cyber War with China
Haugh’s firing should be looked at through the lens of sub-standard performance. If one has not heard, there is the long standing, greatest cyber assault ever, being waged on America. It is called “Salt Typhoon” and is coming from China. Are you getting overwhelmed with job offers, anonymous texts of solicitation, notices of unpaid tolls? You probably are. This is part of the Salt Typhoon series of cyber intrusions. If you think this is funny, minor, or inconsequential, you are sadly mistaken. The title of an article in “Foreign Policy”, spoke of the matter in the gravest terms. “Salt Typhoon Stirs Panic in Washington, The full extent of the hack is not yet public, but it has hardened anti-China consensus.”.
NSA, Cyber Command, Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are part of the joint, inter-agency task force whose job it is to defend America from Cyber Attacks. By their own admission, they are failing. FBI Director Wray said in January 2024 to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities”. In December 2024, Federal Officials seemed to be at the point of giving up and were pivoting toward lecturing the private sector telecommunication companies they were on their own to eject the Chinese cyber intrusion set. During General Haugh’s tenure, there was a profound inability to remove the Chinese from American critical infrastructure. General Haug’s counterparts at the FBI and DHS are gone. No reason Haugh should not join them in post government service. If your team is on an extended losing streak, it is time to change coaches. If 40% of the FBI was distracted by the J6 hoax, how much of the DHS and NSA/Cyber Command were distracted by this Deep State top priority? How much better would Cyber Command/DHS/FBI had done in subduing Salt Typhoon if they were focused on the Chinese threat instead of spying on Americans?
Vice Admiral Chatfield is leading the “resistance” in plain sight?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance has been one of the most successful treaties the United States has been involved with. However, in the current age, there is grave concern over the weak defense spending of most NATO Partners. Until the final NATO Summit for Jan Stoltenberg, the outgoing NATO Secretary, in July 2024, only 12 of 32 NATO Nations were meeting the 2% of GDP for Military Spend, which has been a long standing, stated goal of NATO members. On March 13, 2025, at a joint press conference with the new NATO Secretary Mark Rutte, President Trump said, “there were just very few (NATO) countries that were paying…at 2 percent, which is too low. It should be higher. It should be quite a bit higher… most of them weren’t paying or they were paying very little.”
During this period of enforcing the expectations of NATO membership, the senior U.S. uniformed military officer at NATO is critical to properly communicating the meaning and intent of the President. Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was the United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, the highest-ranking U.S. Military leader other than the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, currently U.S. Army General Christopher Cavoli. According to Jack Posobiec, “Per report, Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield refused to put up POTUS & SECDEF pictures in NATO HQ. Also held an “all hands” where she said, “we will wait them out 4 years”. There are other actions attributed to the Admiral that place her in the woke camp. Generals and Admirals are appointed, not anointed, and if they lose the confidence of the Commander in Chief, it is time for them to hang it up and retire.
South Korea is in crisis, what has the U.S. Senior Commander been doing?
According to retired, U.S Air Force Intelligence Officer, Dr. Tara O, “the acting (U.S.) ambassador (to South Korea), Joseph Yun, has been interacting with the opposition Democratic Party, or Minju, that rammed Mr. Yoon’s impeachment through the assembly.” Yun was appointed 2025-1-10 under Biden administration just before President Trump took office on 2025-1-20.”
The right-hand partner of the U.S. Ambassador in South Korea is always the U.S. Forces Korea Commander, who is currently General Xavier Brunson. Normally these two personalities confer closely on all matters. If Acting Ambassador Yun was plotting with the Democrat Party of South Korea, it is very likely his words, thoughts, and notes were being coordinated with General Brunson. South Korea is one of the closest and most trusted allies and President Yoon, a populist President aligned with President Trump has been ousted in the greatest instability ever seen in South Korea. A Communist coup is in progress in South Korea and the actions of General Brunson should be reviewed with alacrity.
All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.
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