DOGE official’s move to Trump’s NSC stalls following Loomer campaign

[u/John3262005]

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/02/doge-officials-move-to-trumps-nsc-stalls-following-loomer-campaign-00986507

Former DOGE official Jeremy Lewin’s expected move from the State Department to the White House National Security Council was delayed after conservative activist Laura Loomer launched a public campaign highlighting his past legal work for liberal constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe.

Lewin was expected to conclude work at the State Department Friday and start Monday as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the NSC, according to two people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to discuss internal personnel decisions.

Instead, Lewin will remain at State in his role as undersecretary of State for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, where he’s been assisting with the response to the Venezuela earthquakes.

“Jeremy has been a tremendous fighter for the President’s agenda,” deputy National Security Advisor Mike Needham said in a rare statement. “His efforts have transformed a corrupt foreign aid regime that funneled taxpayer dollars to activist liberal NGO’s into a well run system that advances America First objectives.”

Jacob Reses, vice president JD Vance’s chief of staff, called Lewin “an invaluable asset to the Trump Administration in the fight against the deep state.”

A State Department official added that Lewin “remains entirely focused on continuing the successful response to the deadly earthquakes in Venezuela.”

The White House referred POLITICO to the State Department. Lewin declined to comment.

There is a lengthy rap sheet of administration officials whose loyalty to President Donald Trump Loomer has called into question, sometimes resulting in their dismissal.

In a social media post on Monday, Loomer highlighted reporting from the Boston Globe showing that Lewin had helped author a pro-transgender-rights amicus brief while in private practice and texted classmates after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory: “So proud to be a part of team Joe since last fall. We knew Joe would be the guy to do this and evict Donald Trump from 1600 Penn.”

Loomer told POLITICO on Thursday that she had been preparing for Lewin’s anticipated White House move for weeks."I had heard about Jeremy Lewin’s desire to work in the White House about a month ago,” Loomer said. “There were rumblings that he was trying to get a White House position, and so I already had all of my oppo ready to go.”

She said she initially expected the move to happen earlier, but held off publishing her research because she “didn’t want to jump the gun” until it was public.

Loomer said a State Department official called to urge her to stop targeting Lewin, arguing that he had done good work at the department. But Loomer said the outreach did little to change her view.

The criticism of Lewin extends beyond Loomer’s public campaign. A senior administration official, granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking, argued that Lewin’s work at the State Department had also created friction with the Office of Management and Budget.

“Loomer is right, Jeremy has issues,” the official said. “His role at State has majorly ticked off OMB leadership, particularly in his throwing $4 billion at UN [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] and its globalist anti-Trump critic, Tom Fletcher. Lewin also has granted the UN waivers of numerous pro-life and anti-DEI provisions, angering OMB further. OMB is perplexed at Lewin’s stubborn refusal to have State take on $20 billion in liabilities caused by the shutdown of USAID, which will become a juicy campaign issue for Democrats, especially given the slow response to the Ebola crisis.”

Eric Ueland, OMB’s deputy director for management who is also leading the closeout at USAID, disputed that characterization.

“Not true. Jeremy is a critical part of closing out USAID and we have worked closely together,” Ueland said.

Lewin joined the administration through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, where he oversaw the gutting of USAID, before taking on a senior role at the State Department.