Speaking aboard Air Force One on Thursday, former President Donald Trump confirmed the dismissals within the National Security Council (NSC) and acknowledged Laura Loomer’s advisory role. Trump explained that Loomer provides recommendations, which he sometimes considers alongside advice from others before making decisions.
Loomer, known for promoting conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks and expressing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, has become a more visible figure within Trump’s political circle. Recently, she has criticized members of Trump’s team, accusing them of undermining his agenda. Trump described Loomer as a “very good patriot” and a “very strong person.”
On Monday, Reuters reported that Christopher Stanley, a senior adviser in the deputy attorney general’s office, was previously involved in operating websites that disseminated pirated ebooks and software. Stanley, who previously worked at Musk’s X and SpaceX, reportedly ran online forums dealing with software piracy, video game cheats, and hacking under pseudonyms such as eNkrypt and Reneg4d3. The website fkn-pwnd.com, launched in 2006, featured the slogan “Fucking Up Servers!” with a graphic, and was created when Stanley was still in high school.
The Reuters report followed inquiries into Edward Coristine, another technologist from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who previously worked for a company known for hiring reformed hackers, according to a WIRED investigation.
Last week, The Atlantic exposed a significant operational security lapse when it reported an accidental invitation from a Signal account associated with national security adviser Mike Waltz to its editor-in-chief, revealing discussions about a covert bombing operation in Yemen. Politico later reported that Waltz’s team regularly used Signal chats to manage sensitive issues involving Ukraine, China, and other regions. Sources familiar with these communications, who opted to remain anonymous, claimed that at least 20 such group chats took place, involving sensitive national security information, although none confirmed if classified information was disclosed. The revelations also brought attention to Waltz and other officials for leaving their Venmo accounts public and reportedly using personal email addresses for official government communication.
On Thursday, the Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced a review of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal app to discuss operational plans against the Houthis in Yemen.
