Insiders fear a 'purge' after Trump loyalist abruptly fires acting head of the National Counterterrorism Center: report

There is a fear that President Donald Trump's firing ax will have consequences as he's dealing with the crisis of the coronavirus outbreak. Though acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell disputes the story by the Post, saying that Russell Travers had not been fired.

A Washington Post report revealed that the acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center was fired late Wednesday night, and it could be part of a significant purge from Trump to get rid of career professionals. The office was set up after the Sept. 11 attacks to help protect the nation.

"Russell E. Travers, a highly-regarded career professional with more than 40 years of government service, was fired by acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, according to one former official, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter," said the Post. "Travers, who took up the acting position last August, has been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center, which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness."

Travers’ was also removed but will return to his previous post at the NSA.

"The removals have shocked Travers’s colleagues who are upset at the treatment of someone so well-regarded, according to the two former officials," the Post report said. Trump intends to nominate Christopher Miller, from the Pentagon's special operations and counterterrorism operation.

It was mere weeks ago that Trump announced a peace agreement with the Taliban, which U.S. intelligence reported they had no intention of abiding by. Al-Qaeda and ISIS have dissipated over the years, but aren't entirely gone. As a result, Trump's team has wondered whether the NCTC should be as large as it is at 900 staffers.

"Travers, who began his career as a U.S. Army intelligence officer in 1978, took up the acting position last August when the center’s then-Director Joseph Maguire was tapped to become acting DNI. Maguire was fired by Trump last month amid a controversy over a briefing given by a subordinate on Russian threats to the 2020 election," the Post reported.

Trump then hired Grenell to be his loyalist as the acting DNI.