Ousted NSA head Gen. Tim Haugh on his firing by the Trump administration

Retired four-star Gen. Tim Haugh, who was fired from his role as head of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command in April, said he is still focused on “our nation’s security” at the end of the day. 

Haugh was promoted to a two-star general, then earned a third star during the first Trump administration. He rose to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command in 2024 and led it for a little over a year. 

Haugh was fired in April of this year after far-right activist Laura Loomer met with President Trump. Online she explained that Haugh was “disloyal” and had been “referred for firing.” Evidence she pointed to, publicly, was Haugh’s appointment by President Biden. She called Haugh’s firing “a blessing for the American people.”

Haugh, in his first television interview since retirement, said he was “absolutely not” disloyal, and that he’d gotten up every day “committed to our national security and to meeting the expectations of the president.”

“I know in my heart that every day I wanted to achieve the things for our nation that would make us more secure and make every American safe, and that continued till my last day of service,” Haugh said. “So from that perspective, it certainly was impactful to me and my family. But at the end of the day, it’s about our nation and it’s about our nation’s security.”

The White House did not answer 60 Minutes’ questions about Haugh’s termination.