In a significant shake-up within the National Security Council (NSC), President Donald Trump has dismissed six staffers after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer. Loomer presented opposition research alleging that certain NSC members were disloyal to the president and his “America First” agenda.

The firings included senior directors Brian Walsh, Thomas Boodry, and David Feith. Walsh, previously a staff director on the Senate Intelligence Committee, served as the NSC’s director for intelligence. Boodry, who had been Waltz’s legislative director in Congress, held the position of senior director for legislative affairs. Feith was in charge of technology and national security issues. He had worked in the State Department before.

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Laura Loomer has been a controversial political figure because she spreads conspiracy theories and says hurtful things. She has said in the past that she is a “proud Islamophobe” and spread lies about things like the 9/11 attacks. Even though she has a troubled past, Laura Loomer has stayed close to Trump and often has an impact on conversations about hiring and firing staff.

During the meeting in the Oval Office, Laura Loomer specifically called out Alex Wong, who is the senior deputy national security assistant. He accused him of being disloyal because his wife used to work at the Justice Department under earlier administrations. Wong, on the other hand, was not fired.

President Trump acknowledged Loomer’s input but downplayed her direct influence on the firings. He stated, “Always, we’re gonna let go of people. People that we don’t like, or people that we don’t think can do the job, or people that may have loyalties to somebody else.” He also described Laura Loomer as a “very good patriot” and noted that while she makes recommendations, the final decisions rest with him. ​

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A lot of people are worried about how stable the NSC is and how extreme fringe groups can affect decisions about national security. Others say that these steps are necessary to ensure the council follows the president’s plans, while others say that they could make the council less useful.

With the government still having to deal with tough foreign policy problems, it’s not clear how these staff moves will affect how the NSC works.