Washington — President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to serve as the next director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command in a dual-hatted appointment. The nomination was transmitted to the Senate on December 16, 2025, for confirmation.
If confirmed, Rudd would replace Gen. Timothy Haugh, who was dismissed in April, with Lt. Gen. William Hartman serving in an acting capacity until a permanent leadership team is installed.
Rudd is a career Special Forces officer who has commanded the elite Delta Force and has held senior roles during U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command, he has extensive experience in crisis management and regional security planning in a theater that includes China and other near-peer adversaries.
Analysts say his Indo-Pacific background could help align NSA/Cyber Command’s activities with national-security priorities in a time of rising cyber threats from state and nonstate actors, including actions linked to China.
The nomination will be reviewed by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. If confirmed, Rudd would oversee both the NSA’s signals intelligence and Cyber Command’s offensive and defensive cyber operations.
This development comes amid leadership gaps and sensitivity over staffing and morale at NSA and Cyber Command, which have been led in acting capacity since leadership changes earlier this year.
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