Rudd defends qualifications to lead NSA, Cyber Command at confirmation hearing

Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, nominee to be lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, arrives to his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen building on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency told senators Thursday that his experience working with cyber intelligence in the Indo-Pacific qualifies him to serve in the dual-hatted role, though he notably stopped short of directly endorsing policy proposals for more aggressive cyber responses to China and other foreign adversaries.

Lt. Gen. Josh Rudd’s relative lack of direct experience in military cybersecurity and signals intelligence was raised multiple times when he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. As the number two leader of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Rudd has spent his career largely in special ...