Trump boots Mike Waltz
(MENAFN) US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has reportedly been dismissed, according to Fox News, which cited anonymous sources on Thursday. The White House has yet to confirm or comment on the matter publicly.
Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were said to be part of a broader staff shake-up at the National Security Council. The exact reason for the firings wasn’t disclosed, but Fox pointed to Waltz’s involvement in the so-called ‘Signalgate’ incident from March, which drew significant criticism.
The controversy began when The Atlantic accessed a leaked group chat involving Trump administration officials discussing military operations against Houthi militants in Yemen. Waltz was blamed for the breach after he mistakenly added the magazine’s editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the Signal chat by misidentifying his contact. Waltz later took responsibility in a Fox News interview, calling the incident “embarrassing” and pledging to investigate.
Axios later reported that Waltz had not yet formally exited his role but was expected to leave soon. A White House official confirmed he remained in position as of Thursday morning, though others indicated his departure was imminent.
When asked earlier in the week about Waltz’s status, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to address what she called “anonymous reports.” Trump himself confirmed in April that a few NSC members had been dismissed due to the leak but continued to express confidence in his overall national security team.
According to Politico, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is among the leading candidates to replace Waltz. Witkoff has played a key role in US efforts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine and has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times. However, CNN’s Alayna Treene reported that Witkoff is not seeking the position and is unlikely to accept it if offered.
Last month, Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior officials reportedly urged Trump to remove Waltz over the scandal. While Trump acknowledged that Waltz had made a serious error, he initially chose not to dismiss him, calling the leak controversy a “witch hunt” and insisting no classified information was compromised.
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