Trump Revamps Bloated, Politicized NSC

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – The National Security Council (NSC) is getting a MAGA makeover. Trump is ordering a major NSC overhaul that will shrink its size, ouster some political appointees and return many career government employees back to their home agencies.

Previously, days into the administration, the White House sidelined about 160 NSC staff, sending them home while the administration reviewed staffing and tried to align it with Trump’s agenda.

The aides were career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees.

The current move is expected to elevate the State Department and Pentagon in advising Trump. But ultimately, Trump relies on his own instincts above all else when making decisions.

The NSC, created under Truman, is an arm of the White House tasked with advising the president on national security and coordinating among various government agencies.

Trump was frustrated in his first term by political appointees and advisers who he felt gummed up his “America First” agenda.

There are roughly 395 people working at the NSC, including about 180 support staff. About 90 to 95 of those being ousted are policy or subject-matter experts seconded from other government agencies.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

Bill aims to lock in DIU’s dual-use reservist corps, one of DOD’s most effective—but lesser-known—bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon: the Joint Reserve Detachment of the Defense Innovation Unit.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Eight men the Trump administration attempted to send to South Sudan are in temporary custody in Djibouti after a federal court ruling halted their removal.

POLITICS

Trump honored fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, calling them “great, great warriors” who were “America’s best and bravest.”

Secretary of Defense Hegseth will travel to the Shangri-La Dialogue, the largest defense conference in Asia, where he will deliver a speech on the Pentagon’s approach to the region, with no China meeting planned.

10-month blockade on 447 military promotions initiated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., in 2023 upended some military families’ lives but did not harm readiness, concludes government watchdog.

US POWER OVERSEAS

U.S. Marine NMESIS and Army HIMARS missile and rocket systems to deploy to strategic Philippine Island chains between Luzon and Taiwan to practice anti-ship operations during the exercise KAMANDAG 9.

Despite being a central part of the U.S. military’s strategy in the Pacific, there still isn’t a clear strategy for maintaining the missile defense systems on Guam.

An armored unit is poised to advance electromagnetic deception capabilities and techniques for the Army during a rotation in Germany.

The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies’ underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own.

CHINA THREAT

Chinese Navy Carrier Strike Group is operating 124 miles north of the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) wrapped up a port visit to Malaysia and are now headed back to South China Sea. Meanwhile, in Japan, aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) departed Yokosuka for sea trials prior to deployment.

‘It needs to be a thousand’: U.S. has 500 military trainers in Taiwan, retired admiral says, more than 10 times the number previously disclosed.

How China could counter U.S. intervention in war over Taiwan. Has Beijing found a new “assassin’s mace” to keep the U.S. military out of a fight over Taiwan?

ASEAN kicks off summits with China, Gulf states amid U.S. tariff threat. The 10-member regional bloc is set to hold its first-ever three-way summit with China and the GCC as part of a bid to bolster economic resilience.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

German Chancellor announced that Berlin and its allies were lifting range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, though the practical implications of the policy shift were not immediately clear.

Russia launches war’s largest air attack on Ukraine.

The Kremlin responded to President Trump’s criticism of Vladimir Putin, citing “emotional overload” at this “very important moment.”

Italy will double production of missiles for its SAMP/T air defense batteries next year, as Ukraine reportedly runs out of stocks for its two batteries.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

South Korea said there have been no discussions with the U.S. over a possible pullback of U.S. troops stationed in the country, after a media report said U.S. is considering a withdrawal of some of its forces.

Satellite imagery: A day after an embarrassing mishap during a launch ceremony attended by North Korean dictator, authorities are trying to right the 5,000-ton frigate. The warship rolled over and partially submerged after a premature slide into the water at the Chongjin Shipyard.

SPACE THREAT

Space Command’s top general says commercial space industry is ready for Golden Dome. Advancements in commercial space technology could make Trump’s missile defense shield far more likely to succeed than the “Star Wars” initiative of the 1980s.

What the U.S. can learn from the Ukraine war’s Space Front. Policymakers should seek new partnerships with commercial companies and develop tools that can withstand enemy attack to succeed in future wars where military satellites are targeted.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is in the process of recapitalizing its training aircraft fleet as it seeks to produce pilots for next generation combat aircraft.

By joining with Italy and the UK in the multinational Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) next-gen combat aircraft program, Japan’s defense industry has a chance to greatly expand and develop its knowledge base and skills.

Europe has too many naval shipyards competing for business, and the industry needs to consolidate to a handful of players who can then win export contracts, says French Navy Chief.

Switzerland to expand EU defense ties with a new cyber-defense role, joining a multinational military cybersecurity project.

Poland, Romania lead a drone bonanza in Eastern Europe. As Poland’s military develops its new Drone Force, it also signed a deal to purchase the largest number of unmanned aerial vehicles in the country’s history.

US MILITARY

Drone hunter: Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle seen loaded with at least three seven-shot 70mm rocket pods under its left wing. If it had three more pods on the right side, this would amount to 42 laser-guided rockets, which could be carried together with eight traditional air-to-air missiles.

It’s time for Air Force to embrace the F-35. The U.S. revolutionized air combat with the invention of stealth technology and the low-observable combat jet. Yet today, only 28 percent of the service’s fighter inventory are 5th-generation jets.

U.S. spent $6B in the past 3 years to recruit and retain troops.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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