Meet Lisa Monaco, Microsoft executive Trump wants to see fired
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has called on Microsoft to fire its head of global affairs, Lisa Monaco. He accused her of being a "menace" to national security and linked his demand to legal cases against him. Monaco, who was appointed as Microsoft's head of global affairs in June, previously served in the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations.
Accusations
'Corrupt and totally Trump deranged'
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Monaco "corrupt and totally Trump deranged." He claimed her previous roles in government posed risks to national security due to Microsoft's major contracts with the US government. The President also alleged that Monaco's past actions led the US government to strip her of all security clearances and access to national security intelligence.
Background
A look at Monaco
Monaco was the Deputy Attorney General under Biden and served as a national security advisor under Obama. She was also involved in coordinating the Justice Department's response to the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump's demand for her dismissal aligns with his history of targeting perceived political enemies since returning to office in January. He has previously pressured various institutions and corporations, including demanding Intel's CEO resign and influencing Disney's ABC over Jimmy Kimmel's show.
Ongoing scrutiny
Microsoft's contracts under scrutiny
Monaco's LinkedIn profile confirms her appointment at Microsoft. However, it remains unclear if she will respond to Trump's demand. Microsoft is under scrutiny for its contracts with US agencies and its decision to restrict certain cloud services to a unit of the Israeli military, after a review of alleged surveillance practices. Meanwhile, CEO Satya Nadella recently attended a White House dinner with Trump and other tech leaders.