Gen. Joshua Rudd was confirmed by the Senate to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command after a year without Senate-confirmed leadership.
Senators voted 71-29 to confirm Rudd on Monday, elevating him to the rank of four-star general. Rudd will also serve as a “dual-hat” leader of U.S. Cyber Command.
Rudd is the first Senate-confirmed leader since April, when President Donald Trump fired former NSA Director Tim Haugh over allegations that he was not loyal to the administration.
Rudd’s rise through the military has been unconventional. He started as a logistician before transferring to Special Forces and becoming a leader of the elite Delta Force. For the past six years, Rudd has served as deputy director of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, where he was responsible for defending against the Chinese military’s regional encroachments.
Earlier this year, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, pushed back against Rudd’s confirmation, citing Rudd’s inexperience in cybersecurity. Wyden blocked the possibility of a Senate voice vote last month, forcing a roll call vote for Rudd’s confirmation.
“I oppose the nomination,” Wyden wrote in a letter submitted to the Congressional Record. “When it comes to the cybersecurity of this country, there is simply no time for on-the-job learning. The threat is just too urgent for that.”
Wyden also raised concerns about Rudd’s understanding of NSA surveillance authorities and limitations. “The potential for abuse is enormous,” the senator wrote.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, praised Rudd. “General Rudd is a war hero with a lifetime of service to our nation,” Cotton wrote on X. “Instead of gambling with the lives of our troops and the safety of the homeland, Senate Democrats should have confirmed his nomination weeks ago.”
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“With this committee’s support, my focus will be to lead the NSA in its vital foreign intelligence mission, driven by the pursuit of innovation and an unwavering commitment to unbiased, objective analysis,” Rudd said in his opening remarks.
Rudd’s confirmation comes as the Trump administration leans into an offensive cybersecurity strategy. The president has suggested that cyberattacks were used in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
