A personal plea from the acting director of the National Security Agency failed to stop the dismissal of one of its top scientists, according to a report published Wednesday. Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, the agency’s temporary leader, asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to reconsider.
But Gabbard rejected his request and proceeded with firing the NSA’s chief data scientist, Vinh Nguyen, officials told The New York Times. Nguyen was one of 37 officials who lost their security clearance on Tuesday. The mass removal was described as a “purge” of those considered disloyal to President Donald Trump.
Nguyen, a leading authority on artificial intelligence, cryptology, and advanced mathematics, had become a target for right-wing media because of his ties to the investigation Trump branded as “Russiagate.” The Times reported that Nguyen played a critical role in developing artificial intelligence systems to enhance the gathering of foreign communications.
He was also involved in the intelligence community’s work on quantum computing, technology with the potential to break encryption systems and transform espionage. The dismissal raised alarms among officials who fear the move will undermine national security. Nguyen had previously warned on a podcast that the U.S. was falling behind China in artificial intelligence development.
“We do not want to live in a society where our AI is built and run by the People’s Republic of China—because they are not built on our democratic values,” he said. Nguyen’s background added to his reputation as a prodigy. Recruited at age 17 for his mathematical talents, he is the son of a South Vietnamese general who fought alongside American troops in the Vietnam War.
According to the Times, there was “no evidence” that Nguyen was dismissed for poor performance. The paper said he had not “mishandled classified data, made poor analytic judgments, or politicized his work.” Instead, his role in analyzing Russian election interference in 2016 had been highlighted in conservative outlets.
“Under Ms. Gabbard, this has been enough to cost NSA officials their jobs,” the report added. Gabbard’s office declined to comment. The firings also fit into Gabbard’s broader effort to cut nearly half of her staff, Axios reported.
The decision has sparked outrage from former intelligence leaders. Former CIA Director William J. Burns wrote in The Atlantic that the dismissals amounted to a “retribution campaign” and described them as a “war on public service and expertise.”
“It is about breaking people and breaking institutions by sowing fear and mistrust throughout our government,” Burns wrote. “It is about paralyzing public servants—making them apprehensive about what they say, how it might be interpreted, and who might report on them. It is about deterring anyone from daring to speak truth to power.”