Former President Donald Trump even called for the removal of Lisa O. Monaco, U.S. Deputy Attorney General. He issued this call ahead of his first meeting with new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Microsoft has agreed to end its cloud-based services and artificial intelligence subscriptions to an Israeli military unit. This comes after allegations that the unit created a system to monitor Palestinian phone conversations.
Trump has already gone after Monaco for her previous stint in the Biden administration. She was the Deputy Attorney General. He described her as “a menace to U.S. National Security, especially given the major contracts that Microsoft has with the United States Government.”
Beyond disparaging remarks, Trump claimed that Monaco’s efforts had led to catastrophic outcomes. He claimed, “Because of Monaco’s many wrongful acts, the U.S. 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.”
These issues complicate Microsoft’s ostensible progressive move to end their services to Israel’s military unit implicated in the latest humanitarian atrocities given its prior participation in surveillance operations. The tech giant has announced an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, further complicating its relationship with various government entities.
Despite these challenges, Microsoft has pledged to provide $3.1 billion in savings on cloud services for government agencies over the next year. Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure and productivity software are indispensable components of much of the U.S. government. Because of this reliance, federal officials closely monitor the company’s corporate decisions.
Even Maria Bartiromo, arguably media’s biggest star and champion of free market principles in America, took to X to call out Monaco’s new job at Microsoft. Her testimony is a testament to the continued public interest in the intersection of technology, national security, and corporate governance.
As Trump gets ready for his first meeting with Netanyahu, it’s too soon to say what Monaco’s potential ouster would mean. We understand that the dynamics between the U.S. government, Microsoft, and Israeli authorities is ever-shifting. This evolution occurs against the backdrop of accelerating data privacy and national security concerns.