- Trump’s Demand: On Sept. 26, President Trump took to Truth Social to declare Microsoft’s new President of Global Affairs, Lisa Monaco, “a menace to U.S. National Security” and said he wants her immediately fired [1] [2]. He argued her past role as a DOJ prosecutor and extensive government contracts at Microsoft make her a security risk. Trump’s exact words on Truth Social included calling Monaco “Corrupt and Totally Trump Deranged” and insisting, “It is my opinion that Microsoft should immediately terminate the employment of Lisa Monaco” [3] [4].
- Who is Lisa Monaco?: Monaco is a veteran national-security lawyer. A Harvard and UChicago Law graduate, she served in the Obama administration as Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser (2013–2017) [5] and later as Deputy Attorney General under Biden (2021–2025) [6] [7]. In those roles she helped coordinate DOJ’s response to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and oversaw election-related prosecutions [8] [9]. In mid-2025 she joined Microsoft (July 2025 according to LinkedIn reports) as the head of global affairs – a new role in which Microsoft says she “will be responsible for Microsoft’s interactions with foreign governments and multilateral organizations” and will lead its cybersecurity and digital-crime policy [10] [11].
- Trump’s Criticism: Trump’s post pointed to Monaco’s revoked security clearance and claimed she had been banned from federal facilities for “wrongful acts” [12]. He noted Microsoft’s major U.S. government contracts, implying her access to sensitive data is unacceptable. (In fact, Trump had ordered her clearance revoked in March 2025 in the same executive order that stripped clearances from President Biden and Hillary Clinton [13].) Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella did not immediately respond to Trump’s call, and the company has formally declined to comment on any demands to fire an executive [14] [15].
- Timing and Context: Trump’s demand came just one day after the Justice Department indicts former FBI Director James Comey on charges of false statements and obstruction [16]. That timing fits a broader pattern: Reuters notes this looks like another effort by Trump’s administration to exact retribution on officials he sees as enemies [17]. (Monaco, as Deputy AG, helped oversee investigations into Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election [18].) In recent months Trump has targeted other corporate and media figures – for example pressuring Intel’s CEO to resign over Chinese ties, then reversing course and even arranging a government stake in Intel [19] [20], and forcing Disney-owned ABC to briefly suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show after criticizing Trump [21].
- Tech Industry Relations: Until now Microsoft and many tech leaders have generally sought to stay on Trump’s good side. For instance, CEO Nadella praised Trump’s policies at a January White House tech summit, saying “you and your policies are really helping a lot” to build global trust in U.S. technology [22]. Tech firms have invited Trump to company events (many attended his 2025 inauguration) and Nadella dined with him at the White House as a top tech leader [23] [24]. Trump has publicly railed against alleged “anti-conservative bias” in Big Tech, and wants firms to align with his agenda.
- Activist Pressure: Far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed credit for alerting Trump to Monaco’s Microsoft role [25] [26]. Loomer wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that after she “alerted President Trump” to the hire, he “just called on Microsoft to terminate her employment.” She even tagged Nadella asking if Microsoft would “comply.” Trump has a history of acting on information from outside influencers: Axios notes Loomer has repeatedly boasted of pushing him to go after public figures [27].
- Broader Pattern (“Pay-Me” Capitalism): Axios and Reuters describe Trump’s approach to big business as “unprecedented.” Axios even calls it “pay-me capitalism” – tech and other companies get deregulation and low taxes, but must pay Trump’s price by following his priorities [28] [29]. For example, Apple CEO Tim Cook quickly agreed to add $100 billion more in U.S. investment after Trump threatened big iPhone tariffs [30]. Chamber of Commerce policy chief Neil Bradley warns that such extra-legal demands “create a lot of uncertainty” beyond normal rules [31]. And investor Nancy Tengler bluntly notes, “I’ve never seen the government make a savvy investment when they get involved in the private sector” [32].
- Examples of Trump’s Corporate Demands: Similar incidents include:
- Intel: Trump demanded (via social post) that Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan resign over Chinese investments – only days later Trump backed Intel when the company agreed to U.S. incentives [33] [34].
- Apple: He threatened massive tariffs on imported iPhones when Apple expanded production abroad; the threat was lifted after CEO Tim Cook pledged a major new U.S. investment [35].
- ABC-TV: Under Trump’s pressure, Disney temporarily yanked Jimmy Kimmel Live! from ABC stations in mid-2025 after Kimmel criticized the president [36].
- Security Clearances: In March 2025 Trump signed an order stripping Monaco’s clearance (along with Biden, Clinton and others) [37], part of a purge of officials from both parties.
- Government Stakes: His administration converted part of future CHIPS Act grants into equity stakes in Intel and Nvidia, and imposed tariffs on foreign electronics – moves seen as squeezing tech firms to “pay” Trump’s agenda [38].
- Legal and Governance Context: Under U.S. law, private companies generally have broad discretion in hiring/firing. Microsoft is not legally compelled by the White House to remove executives. But this episode raises concerns about political pressure on independent firms. Observers note that tech giants often hire ex-government officials on both sides of the aisle to navigate policy (e.g. Google’s President of Global Affairs is Kent Walker, formerly a Google lawyer, who works with governments on AI and other issues [39]). Microsoft’s own description of Monaco’s job – managing “interactions with foreign governments and multilateral organizations” and spearheading cybersecurity and digital crime policy [40] – is a standard corporate-government relations role, not inherently partisan.
In sum, Trump’s public demand to oust Lisa Monaco is part of a broader pattern of his second term: insisting that Fortune 500 companies demonstrate loyalty to his administration. It adds tension to Microsoft’s efforts to balance relationships with the White House while also pushing its global security and AI agenda. As Axios commented, under Trump “everything has a cost” for businesses [41]. Microsoft’s likely response – quietly ignoring the demand while maintaining bipartisan outreach – will be watched closely.
Sources: Detailed reporting by Reuters [42] [43] [44], Axios [45] [46], The Guardian [47] [48], Business Insider [49], Economic Times [50] [51], and others, as cited above. These include Trump’s own statements (Truth Social posts) and official company/government statements.
References
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