Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently assumed the role of national security adviser following Michael Waltz’s removal, is set to overhaul the National Security Council (NSC), sources told NBC News. Rubio plans to significantly downsize the NSC, potentially reducing staff to as few as 50–60 members.
The goal is to streamline operations, allowing Trump to communicate directly with his adviser, who will oversee implementation. The restructuring would shift policy development away from large advisory teams and move some NSC responsibilities to agencies like the CIA and State Department. Rather than firing staff, Rubio intends to reassign them across the government.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Rubio’s dual leadership and emphasized the need for “maximum efficiency.” Rubio discussed the changes with White House personnel chief Sergio Gor during Trump’s Middle East trip. Trump confirmed Rubio would retain both roles for at least six months.
