NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The firing of top officials inside the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command will cause disruptions inside both, Gen. Paul Nakasone, who led both organizations under a dual-hatted command from 2018 to early 2024, said Thursday.
Gen. Timothy Haugh, a four-star general who served in the same role following Nakasone’s departure, was fired last week following the recommendation of far-right activist Laura Loomer. The NSA’s civilian deputy director, Wendy Noble, was also dismissed.
Nakasone, in a press conference on the sidelines of the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict, praised the experience of Haugh and Noble.
“I’ve known Tim Haugh and Wendy Noble for well over a decade,” he said. “They’re both extraordinary leaders. And I had great confidence when I worked with them. You know, to the point of, does it cause disruption? Anytime you would take out a leader or the principal deputy — that’s gotta cause disruption.”
He added that Lt. Gen. Joe Hartman, who immediately took Haugh’s place in an acting capacity, is well-qualified for the job. “He worked for me in several different roles. This guy is at the top of his game, in terms of counterterrorism, counter-cyber, working with people, being an inspirational leader, all of those things.”
Nakasone added: “I would say, again, I’m concerned that the National Security Agency lost its number one and its number two leaders. But I also say that I understand that at the end of the day, that’s the president’s choice for who he wants to have in there.”
As the surveillance and hacking titan of the U.S. intelligence community, the NSA is considered a core spy agency whose work is featured often in intelligence products produced by various agencies like the CIA or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Much of the agency’s surveillance findings contribute to significant portions of the president’s daily security briefings.
Cyber Command is a combatant command in the Defense Department focused on securing U.S. critical infrastructure, protecting the DOD’s information network and supporting cyber capabilities in other geographic commands.
Historically, both entities are led by a high-ranking military officer in a dual-hatted role. Sources have expressed concerns that the move might be used as a basis to split the dual hat, permitting the president to install a loyalist political appointee to solely lead the signals intelligence agency separate from the combatant command.
Asked about this, Nakasone said that he hasn’t yet jumped to the thought of the dual hat being split and later stressed that he thought the dual system is the best approach, citing his six years of experience leading the intelligence and defense units.
“My sense is that the nation is much better off and more secure with one person that has both the opportunities to work the largest element of the intelligence community and be the combatant commander for the element that operates in cyberspace,” he said.
