Unexpected White House Resignation: Why Is Trump’s “Hidden Cardinal” Leaving

Another major and significant personnel change is taking place in US President Donald Trump’s administration. The White House deputy national security adviser Andy Baker will officially leave his post in the coming weeks.

The influential US publication Axios reports this, citing trusted sources within the administration.

The White House’s shadow leader: The key figure on Ukraine and Iran

Although Andy Baker rarely appears in public, he is regarded as the person who played a “key role” in Washington’s most important foreign policy decisions and national security matters. He previously served as Vice President J.D. Vance’s national security adviser and was appointed deputy White House adviser in spring 2026.

Baker, who speaks Russian, Bulgarian and Persian fluently, has had a far-reaching strategic influence:

• Ukraine crisis: He helped develop the parameters for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, proposed a minerals agreement and offered “creative” peace ideas to resolve the conflict;

• Iran issue: He personally participated in complex negotiations with Tehran and was at the center of decision-making when the United States struck Iran’s nuclear infrastructure;

• New security strategy: He contributed to writing Vance’s widely discussed speech at the 2025 Munich Security Conference and the United States’ new National Security Strategy.

“It was an extraordinary journey”: The reason for his departure and future plans

The experienced diplomat, who worked in the State Department system from 2010 to 2023, including in Afghanistan and at NATO headquarters, has decided to leave public service voluntarily.

According to people close to Baker, he wants to spend more time with his family and remained in the administration several months longer than planned to fully hand over his responsibilities to the new leadership:

“It has truly been an extraordinary journey. I am immensely proud of all the tremendous achievements we have made and deeply grateful to the President, Vice President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio”, Baker told Axios in an interview.

According to reports, Cliff Sims will continue as the vice president’s adviser, while Mike Needham will serve as the deputy White House adviser. Baker himself is expected to move to the private sector and work with former Trump adviser Robert O’Brien.

A series of departures from the White House team

Baker’s departure is not the only loss for Trump’s team. On August 12, Trump’s White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced that she would leave her post at the end of August for family reasons. Such changes indicate the beginning of a new phase in the White House’s external and internal communications system.

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