Feb. 7, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien’s restructuring and downsizing of the National Security Council:
“The National Security Council was deliberately bloated to over 450 members during the Obama administration, and President Trump’s National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien is determined to send unnecessary personnel back to their home agencies.
“Democrats complain that people like Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman will be moved from their office in the White House complex back to the Defense Department during this downsizing. The simple fact is that the NSC is not a lifetime assignment, and actors like Vindman no longer have any use as no one in their right mind would include him in any meeting of consequence due to his role leaking confidential presidential conversations.
“Recently when I was at the White House exiting through the Old Executive Office Building, I and my colleagues in the group, ran into Vindman who was taking a selfie in front of an NSC office as he apparently was preparing for his exit more than a month ago.
“NSC officials serve at the pleasure of the President, and the on-going leaks out of the NSC by Obama holdovers like Vindman and his brother who reviews book manuscripts for classified information, rightfully cannot be trusted. While the Washington Post and others may be upset that their ‘sources’ are being moved outside the ring of information, this and any president needs to have advisors who he or she can trust. If cutting the fat out of the NSC staff also results in removing people intent on using their positions to obstruct the President’s policies, then it is a double win for the American people.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.
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