MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. All heads of security agencies appointed by President Joe Biden's administration will face rigorous investigation, and any shortcomings in their performance will be publicly disclosed, according to Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. This statement follows the recent departure of General Timothy Hoge, head of the Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA).
"The structurally complex US intelligence community has never been subjected to such intense internal scrutiny. Many hidden issues, including those involving high-ranking officials, will soon come to light. I anticipate we will witness more significant scandals involving former intelligence officers and leaders of various agencies," Stepanov, who is also a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated.
High corruption risks
The expert elaborated that the entire architecture of the US intelligence community may now be scrutinized by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by entrepreneur Elon Musk. This is particularly relevant given that the NSA, one of the most powerful technical intelligence agencies, was headed by someone who also controlled similar capabilities at the Pentagon (US Cyber Command). According to Stepanov, this effectively merges the military and intelligence sectors, raising corruption risks and vulnerabilities while potentially creating a structure capable of opposing the current administration under President Donald Trump due to its inherent control capabilities.
Although the NSA is formally part of the US Department of Defense, it operates as an independent agency, reporting directly to the Director of National Intelligence. Stepanov argues that the NSA has become a tool for spying on the current president. The previous arrangement, where a high-ranking Pentagon official oversaw the intelligence agency, has become unworkable for the current administration. He predicts that an independent intelligence framework will emerge, one that excludes Pentagon influence. "The Pentagon is being isolated from access to the relevant capabilities of intelligence agencies," he contends.
According to Stepanov, forthcoming measures may also target contractors, including those in the civilian IT sector, that support not only the NSA but the entire diverse intelligence community. The budgets of such organizations remain classified, and the actual statistics are not publicly available. He suggests that this reflects a shift in control over these secret budgets by Musk and his technology partners, who are vying for a share of the "budget pie" allocated to US intelligence services.
Removing unwanted personnel
Another factor contributing to the resignation of the intelligence agency head, according to Stepanov, is the Trump administration's broader strategy to eliminate disloyal personnel from the military and intelligence sectors. Hoge was recommended for his position by General Mark Milley, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in May 2023. "The Democrats utilized this tactic [appointing a defense official to lead the intelligence agency] as part of the fierce pre-election struggle to gather covert information regarding the Trump campaign," Stepanov explained.
To support his argument, the expert referenced a recent scandal involving the messaging app Signal, which is used by members of Trump's inner circle. The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly included in a group chat where US administration officials discussed strikes on Yemen. Notably, the servers of Signal are under NSA control.
According to Stepanov, leaks from these confidential chats were exploited to undermine Trump's associates. "Democrats and representatives of the Deep State within the intelligence community attempted to use this scandal to oust [US National Security Advisor Michael] Waltz," he claimed. However, rather than capitulating to public pressure and dismissing a key team member, Trump suspended the head of the NSA.
Timothy Hoge's resignation
The Washington Post reported on April 4 that General Hoge, head of Cyber Command and director of the NSA, specializing in electronic intelligence, has resigned. His deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, has transitioned to another role within the office of the Pentagon’s deputy chief of intelligence.
The NSA provides the US administration with intelligence information through radio-electronic capabilities. It operates numerous satellites and eavesdropping stations around the globe, analyzing not only telephone conversations but also electronic communications. Furthermore, the NSA is responsible for safeguarding the government’s information security. The total number of its employees and its annual budget remain classified, but estimates suggest it may be approximately $15 billion annually.