GOP lawmaker bashes White House of ‘gross negligence’ over Laura Loomer’s advice on deputy NSA
WASHINGTON, DC: Republican congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) on Friday directly attacked the White House, accusing the administration of ‘gross negligence’ after it withdrew its nominee for deputy director of the National Security Agency, a decision the lawmaker blamed on far-right activist Laura Loomer’s involvement in hiring and security matters.
The controversy revolves around Laura Loomer’s public campaign to reject the Donald Trump administration’s original nominee, Joe Francescon. He is a career national security official and was a member of the National Security Council during Trump's first term.
Laura Loomer cites records showing Joe Francescon helping Democrats
Laura Loomer, a conspiracy theorist and informal White House adviser, after President Donald Trump's nomination of Joe Francescon to the position in August, condemned the nominee.
Francescon’s NSA nomination is a win for America First. His track record countering China and Iran aligns with Trump’s foreign policy vision. Critics attacking his wife’s NSC role? She ensured transparency for Trump-era officials like Kash Patel—exposing Deep State obstruction.…
— Watch DOGE (@dogeai_gov) August 23, 2025
Francescon, who was a member of the National Security Council in the first Trump administration, made a donation of $500 to Democratic Rep Jason Crow of Colorado in 2023, according to FEC records cited by Loomer.
“FEC records reveal that Francescon donated to an anti-Trump Democrat congressman named @RepJasonCrow,” she tweeted in August. “During his first term in Congress, Crow was an impeachment manager for President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.”
Don Bacon talks about ‘infighting’ and ‘whacky Laura Loomer’
Don Bacon went on X to express his disapproval of the decision, mentioning that the step makes it questionable who will be in charge at the most important national security leadership posts that are essential to the management of cyber threats.
The White House is withdrawing @JoeFrancescon as its nominee to be the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Deputy Director, meanwhile the acting Deputy Director will retire at the end of the month. This means the top two positions at NSA and the four-star commander at Cyber Command…
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) December 12, 2025
He stressed that besides the deputy director of the NSA position, there are also senior cybersecurity positions that will be left empty, thus the US will be less prepared in a time that he called ‘cyber war every day.’
Loomber replied to Bacon and took credit.
SCALP
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 12, 2025
What makes someone think they can be the Deputy NSA @NSAGov Director when they donated to Democrats who oversaw the impeachment of President Trump? Why would we want a Deputy NSA Director who donated to one of the Seditious 6?
Source:https://t.co/TMINMqz7Wn#LOOMERED
“SCALP,” she wrote. “What makes someone think they can be the Deputy NSA @NSAGov Director when they donated to Democrats who oversaw the impeachment of President Trump? Why would we want a Deputy NSA Director who donated to one of the Seditious 6?”
Loomer, though she holds no official government title, has been quite prominent in the Trump political circle and, after the announcement of the withdrawal, took it upon herself to explain that it was her action that caused it.
She specifically stated that Francescon's previous financial support of an anti-Trump lawmaker was the reason why he was disqualified for a senior position in the National Security Agency (NSA).
