Fact Check: Trump's National Security Council will shrink to 60 staffers, same as Eisenhower's.

Fact Check: "Trump's National Security Council will shrink to 60 staffers, same as Eisenhower's."

What We Know

Recent reports indicate that President Donald Trump has initiated significant cuts to the National Security Council (NSC), aiming to reduce its size dramatically. According to NPR, the NSC staff was expected to be streamlined to approximately 60 personnel, which is the same number that President Dwight D. Eisenhower employed during his administration. This restructuring follows a pattern established during Trump's first term, where the NSC was also reduced in size.

The former national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, noted that by the end of Trump's first term, the NSC had about 110 staffers and expressed a desire to further consolidate this number, citing the need to eliminate "holdovers" from previous administrations and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies (Washington Post). The cuts were described as abrupt, with many staff members notified via email shortly before the dismissals took effect (Reuters).

Analysis

The claim that Trump's NSC will shrink to 60 staffers is supported by statements from credible sources, including O'Brien, who explicitly stated the goal of reducing the NSC to this number in an op-ed (NPR). However, it is important to note that while the intention to reach 60 staffers is clear, the actual implementation of this plan may vary. Reports indicate that the NSC staff was significantly larger at the time of the cuts, with numbers around 110 or more, and the final count post-restructuring may not immediately reflect the target of 60 (AP News, New York Times).

The reliability of the sources discussing these changes is generally high, as they include established news organizations and former officials directly involved in the administration. However, the interpretation of these cuts can vary based on political perspectives, which may introduce bias in how the information is presented.

Conclusion

The claim that Trump's National Security Council will shrink to 60 staffers, the same number as during Eisenhower's presidency, is Partially True. While there is a clear intention to reduce the NSC to this size, the actual number of staffers at the time of the announcement was higher, and it remains to be seen if the target will be achieved in practice. The context of these cuts, including the motivations behind them and the potential impact on national security operations, adds complexity to the claim.

Sources

1. Trump shrinks National Security Council in major foreign policy shakeup
2. White House dismisses scores of National Security Council staff
3. White House National Security Council slashes staff in ...
4. National Security Council Staff Will Be Cut by Half
5. White House slashing staff in remake of National Security Council ...