On Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump had a visitor in the White House Oval Office: far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a self-described "proud Islamophobe" who is controversial even among fellow Trump supporters.

During that April 2 meeting, as reported by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Ken Bensinger, Loomer "pressed for him to fire National Security Council staff members whom she deemed disloyal to him."

One day later, Trump fired Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, along with other top national security staff members identified by Loomer as "disloyal," according to Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees.The move stunned intelligence officials, who had clue that it was coming.

But a U.S. official told the Times that Loomer, a far-right activist and close confidante of Trump, called for Gen. Haugh’s removal during her Oval Office meeting on Thursday. The official said Trump then ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to fire the cyber defense chief.

In statements to the Times, both Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut condemned the ouster of Gen. Haugh.

Loomer seemed to take credit for Haugh's firing, writing in a post on X that he “had no place” serving in the administration because he had been chosen for the job by Gen. Mark A. Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who became a sharp critic of Trump.

“Why would we want an NSA Director who was referred to Biden after being hand selected by Milley,” Loomer posted. “Why would we want Milley’s hand picked choice for NSA DIRECTOR? We do not! And he was referred for firing.”

The Times journalists reported, that"Ms. Loomer's rhetoric and actions have been so extreme that she has alienated others even on the far right. She has shared a conspiracy theory on social media calling the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks an 'inside job.' During the 2024 campaign, Ms. Loomer said that 'the White House will smell like curry' if Kamala Harris were elected — a jab at her Indian heritage…. But on Wednesday afternoon, she sat with the president in the Oval Office, plying him with claims about staff members whom she insisted he should dismiss."

Trump's meeting with Loomer elicited strong reactions on social media.

Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan tweeted, "The National Security Adviser had to go to the Oval Office to defend his own staff from being fired by the president, because a woman who said 9/11 was an inside job was in the Oval personally briefing the president. Trump's America, folks. Insane."

CNN's Jake Tapper posted, "As she meets with President Trump and advises firings in the National Security Council, a brief reminder of who Laura Loomer is, in her own words." And Tapper's "reminder" included Loomer's 9/11 conspiracy theories and racist comments attacking former Vice President Harris.

The firings "are a sharp break with precedent," as the Times reported.Presidents normally maintain top military officers in their posts even when they were nominated by a president of a different party.

Sen. Warner praised Gen. Haugh and said firing him wouldn't make the country safer. He tweaked the Trump White House for sharing national security secrets on a consumer messaging application and ousting National Security Council staff because Loomer urged it.

The Virginia senator Warner said the firing of a “nonpartisan, experienced leader” like Gen. Haugh was “astonishing.”