One of the promises President Trump made to American voters is that he would shrink the federal government. With the latest announcement that the National Security Council is set to lose as many as 330 people, the President is closing in on that goal. The National Security Council has been at work in Washington, D.C., since 1947. Congress created it at the beginning of the Cold War to coordinate policy between the various government national security entities, such as the military and the CIA.  President Truman was unenthused, resenting Congress's impingement on his ability to handle foreign affairs. Nevertheless, he accepted its existence and Truman, followed by subsequent presidents, kept manipulating its shape and make-up to help make it a more congenial partner when working with the White House to defend American interests against overseas actors. In the wake of 9/11, the NSC was reorganized, with a new Director of National Intelligence replacing the head of the...(Read Full Post)