Why Donald Trump Wants Satya Nadella to Fire Microsoft’s Lisa Monaco — Explained

US President Donald Trump has turned his attention to Satya Nadella-led Microsoft, urging the tech giant to dismiss Lisa Monaco, who was recently appointed as global affairs chief. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Monaco “corrupt and total Trump deranged”.

He even claimed that her presence at Microsoft was a risk to national security.  “She is a menace to US National Security, especially given the major contracts that Microsoft has with the United States Government,” his post read.

The US President further alleged that Monaco’s clearances had been revoked and that she was prohibited from entering federal sites. “Because of Monaco’s many wrongful acts, the US Government recently stripped her of all Security Clearances, took away all of her access to National Security Intelligence, and banned her from all Federal Properties,” Trump said.

“It is my opinion that Microsoft should immediately terminate the employment of Lisa Monaco,” Trump concluded his remarks.

Who Is Lisa Monaco?

Lisa Monaco joined Microsoft in July, taking charge of the company’s global government relations, a move noted on her LinkedIn and first reported by Reuters.

Her background is firmly rooted in public service: she was a senior national security adviser to President Barack Obama, later helped steer the Justice Department’s response to the January 6 Capitol attack, and most recently served as deputy attorney general in the Biden administration.

It is this latter role that appears to have drawn Trump’s anger. The Biden-era Justice Department launched several cases against him, and Trump has linked Monaco’s appointment at Microsoft to what he sees as ongoing political retaliation.

On Truth Social, he called her position in a company with extensive US government contracts “unacceptable.

It's worth mentioning that Trump has been targeting those he sees as political foes. A few days earlier, former FBI chief James Comey, long at odds with Trump, has been indicted on obstruction and perjury counts. Trump has indicated that "others" could follow, Reuters reported.