Jun 10, 2025 - World

White House appoints new NSC Middle East senior director after Trump's purge

Barak Ravid

Man at podium next to man in red tie — U.S. Special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff with President Trump in the Oval Office on May 28, 2025. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The White House has appointed Wayne Wall as the new senior director for Middle East at the National Security Council, a U.S. official and a source familiar with the issue said.

Why it matters: Wall is one of the first senior hires at the NSC since the big purge ordered by President Trump and acting national security adviser Marco Rubio more than two weeks ago.

Driving the news: Wall, who was appointed several days ago, served at the Department of Defense's intelligence agency in recent years.

Before that, he served in the U.S. Central Command, which is in charge of the Middle East, and in several positions in the U.S. Army.

The intrigue: Wall replaces Eric Trager, who was fired as part of the NSC restructuring.

Trager's firing surprised many inside the administration because he worked closely with White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal and was deeply involved in preparing President Trump's trip to the Middle East.

The White House declined to comment about the appointment.

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White House appoints new NSC Middle East senior director after Trump's purge

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