At the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Annual Worldwide Threats Hearing, Vice Chairman Senator Mark Warner delivered a blistering critique of recent government actions, particularly zeroing in on the widespread dismissal of federal employees, including intelligence officers, FBI agents, and national security professionals.
Warner, who has served on the committee for 14 years, called this year’s threat assessment “one of the most complicated and challenging” during his tenure. But his most pointed remarks were reserved for what he described as a “pattern” of “sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior,” especially related to the handling of classified information and the abrupt termination of government personnel.
Citing recent investigative reporting, Warner highlighted a leaked group chat that allegedly included classified discussions among senior administration officials, potentially jeopardizing national security.
Warner raised alarm over what he sees as politically motivated purges within the federal workforce. He noted that the administration had fired “more than 300 staff at the National Nuclear Security Administration,” “130 employees at CISA,” and “hundreds of intelligence officers,” some of whom were “directly responsible for helping to keep America safe.”
He emphasized that the United States invests tens of thousands of dollars per employee just to process security clearances and well into six figures for training. Firing them without regard to “merit or expertise,” he warned, is not only inefficient but “makes our country less safe.”
Warner cited efforts by adversaries like China to exploit the disruption, using social media to lure recently terminated U.S. intelligence officers. He also mentioned Germany’s outreach to recruit American scientists and engineers who had been pushed out. These moves, he warned, “undermine our credibility with allies and partners.”
Framing the situation as more than isolated incidents, Warner declared, “It’s a pattern… a signal to our workforce, our companies, and our allies that trust in American institutions is eroding.”
While the hearing focused on a range of global threats—including China’s cyber activities, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Russian sabotage efforts across Europe—Warner made clear that internal instability within the U.S. government, especially the politicization and hollowing out of federal agencies, is itself a threat to national security.
“We can’t take on all of our problems alone,” he said. “America first cannot mean America alone.”
