On Tuesday, the National Security Council officially scrapped the top White House cybersecurity policy position, part of new National Security Adviser John Bolton's push to centralize control of the NSC. "The role of cyber coordinator will end," Christine Samuelian, an aide to Bolton, told NSC staffers in an email obtained by Politico. The cybersecurity expert President Trump had appointed to the position, Rob Joyce, left the White House on Friday to return to the National Security Agency.
Samuelian explained that Bolton axed the government's point person on cybersecurity and cyber warfare because "eliminating another layer of bureaucracy delivers greater 'decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch,'" a reference to Alexander Hamilton's Federalist No. 70. Cybersecurity experts and some lawmakers criticized the decision, especially given the increase in foreign cyber-malfeasance in politics and business.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Kill the Boer: Elon Musk and the anti-apartheid songUnder the radar Billionaire reignites controversy by linking South African 'struggle song' to 'white genocide'
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzzfeature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto KnightsFeature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats ThurmondSpeed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi MangioneSpeed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seatSpeed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grabSpeed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jailSpeed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd termSpeed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictionsSpeed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
