Trump loyalist and right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer is once again claiming victory after two high-ranking government officials were either forced out or dismissed this week. Taking to X, Loomer posted screenshots of consecutive New York Times headlines “Top Lawyer for National Security Agency Is Fired” and “Top FDA Official Resigns Under Pressure” — with the caption:
“Very productive day today. It’s very important that we protect President Trump. We have only one year left to stop the Communist takeover of America.” The officials in question were April Falcon Doss, top lawyer for the National Security Agency (NSA), and Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine and gene therapy division. Both were reportedly on Loomer’s radar due to their perceived ties to Democratic figures.
According to The Times, Loomer targeted Doss for her previous work with the Democratic staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee, while Prasad was flagged for “past statements of support he had made for prominent figures on the political left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.”
The removals quickly drew backlash from Democrats. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, blasted the ousting of Doss in a fiery statement. “We should be outraged by the firing of April Doss, a deeply principled public servant, apparently for the role that she played in the Senate Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan investigation into Russian election interference,” Warner said.
“Her dismissal appears to be the result of a politically motivated smear campaign driven by a far-right conspiracy theorist, not any legitimate concern about her conduct or qualifications. Undermining experienced, nonpartisan professionals like April weakens our national security and makes it harder to protect the country from real threats.” Laura Loomer, however, celebrated the outcome. “So many scalps this week! Stacking them up!” she posted.
This latest episode is part of what Loomer herself has described as a campaign to purge the federal government of “Biden holdovers” and officials she considers disloyal to Trump. Earlier this year, she boasted about her role in pushing out National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other senior figures on the National Security Council.
“Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you. And thank you for firing these Biden holdovers,” Loomer wrote in April. Critics say Loomer’s influence underscores how traditional norms of keeping national security roles nonpartisan are being eroded.
“National security positions have long been considered non-partisan and outside the realm of political jockeying, a norm the Trump administration is throwing out the window by having an online influencer oust officials over accusations of disloyalty,” wrote Mediaite senior editor Alex Griffing.
Now, Loomer has set her sights on the Department of Defense. “There are clearly a lot of Biden holdovers at DOD undermining the Trump admin,” she wrote this week. “Who the hell is doing the hiring over at DOD @DeptofDefense? It’s horrendous.”