General Timothy Ho, head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA), was unexpectedly removed from his post by President Donald Trump. The move, which came less than eighteen months after Ho was appointed, has raised concerns among security experts and policymakers.
General Ho’s firing is another blow to the U.S. national security establishment. It comes at the same time as the transfer of Wendy Noble, the deputy director of the NSA, to another position. Lt. Gen. William Hartman will take over as interim head of both agencies. The changes have raised concerns about a possible split in the “dual leadership” of the NSA and Cyber Command that has united the two agencies for decades. Sources say Trump may have made the move to advance his own agenda or to radically reorganize the agencies.
Such reshuffles in the US security apparatus are not new: in February, Trump also dismissed General Q. Brown from the post of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, also initiated a large-scale reduction of staff in the Pentagon. However, it was Ho’s dismissal — in the context of aggressive cyberattacks, such as “Salt Typhoon” by China — that became a worrying signal for experts. Senator Mark Warner publicly condemned the decision, emphasizing its threat to the security of citizens.
The change of leadership in the most important US cyber structures at a time of aggravation of global threats looks like a politically motivated move with potentially serious consequences. So far, the administration has not explained its decision, but experts emphasize that such a move could weaken coordination and response to modern threats.
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