White House deputy national security adviser Andy Baker will leave the Trump administration in the coming weeks, marking the latest change to a national security team that has undergone a shake-up in recent months.

Background and Impact

Baker, who also served as a national security adviser to Vice President JD Vance, is widely viewed as a low-key but influential figure inside the White House. A former State Department official, academic, and Vance adviser when the vice president was in the Senate, Baker had historically advocated for a more restrained American foreign policy that questioned the wisdom of long-term foreign conflicts.

He was also among the figures who helped craft Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference last year, during which the vice president warned European leaders that alleged censorship and democratic backsliding posed risks as severe to the continent as external threats, like those posed by China and Russia.

In a statement, Baker expressed pride in the administration’s achievements and gratitude to the President, Vice President, and Secretary Rubio. His departure was first reported by Axios and has been confirmed by the administration.

Staff Changes and Implications

Baker’s departure is part of a series of staff changes within the White House’s national security team. Mike Needham, a high-ranking State Department official close to Rubio, joined the White House in late May as another deputy national security adviser alongside Baker. Cliff Sims, a White House and intelligence official during Trump’s first term, succeeded Baker as national security adviser to Vance at around the same time.

There have been additional staff departures at lower levels of the White House’s national security team in recent months. The top officials on the National Security Council overseeing Europe and Latin America both departed in June.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.