Senior NSC Director Out, Reassigned, White House Says

Ezra Cohen-Watnick is out as senior director of the National Security Council and will be reassigned to another post in the administration, the White House said Wednesday.

An administration official told CNN that National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster "appreciates the good work" Cohen-Watnick did at the NSC, but "has determined that, at this time, a different set of experiences is best-suited to carrying that work forward.

"Gen. McMaster is confident that Ezra will make many further significant contributions to national security in another position in the administration," the official continued.

Cohen-Watnick worked on President Donald Trump's transition team, and later in the administration under Trump's first National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was let go for lying about his meetings with Russian officials.

The latest move is part of a purge of Flynn's staff, The Hill reported. Retired Col. Derek Harvey was removed from his NSC position last week. Harvey had been named by Flynn as well.

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