Donald Trump 'ousts' top White House national security adviser Mike Waltz after Signal chat fiasco
1 May 2025, 15:54 | Updated: 1 May 2025, 18:05
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz is set to depart the administration just weeks after it was revealed he added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.
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The move marks the first major staff shakeup of President Donald Trump's second term.
Mr Waltz came under searing scrutiny in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which was used to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen.
Mr Waltz's deputy, Alex Wong, is also expected to depart, according to people familiar with the matter.
Previously, the US President stood by his adviser adding that he does not need to apologise for adding Goldberg to the chat.
Speaking in the White House gardens on Thursday evening, Mr Trump thanked several members of his administration who were involved in the Signal chat fiasco while pointedly refusing to mention Mr Waltz.
He said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is "doing a fantastic job" and when he has a problem he calls up Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who "gets it solved".
Reports in America say that Mr Trump had been preparing to fire his national security adviser as early as today amid unhappiness over his performance.
Mr Trump fired swathes of his administration during his first term but Mr Waltz is the first member of his team to be ousted during his current presidency.
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The editor of The Atlantic became aware of a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen hours before it happened after being added to the group.
The jaw-dropping leak supposed that Waltz would be axed from Trump's top team, however, earlier the President stood by Waltz saying he's a "good man" and that he's "learned a lesson".
The move comes in the same week Trump has celebrated his first 100 days in office.
A far-right ally of the president, Laura Loomer recently targeted Mr Waltz, telling Mr Trump in a recent Oval Office conversation he needs to purge aides she believes are insufficiently loyal to the "Make America Great Again" agenda.
Mr Waltz was on television as late as Thursday morning, promoting the administration's agreement with Kyiv that would allow the US to access Ukraine's critical minerals and other natural resources.
As reports began to circulate that Mr Waltz could be leaving the administration, Ms Loomer appeared to take credit in a post on the social media site X, writing: "SCALP".
"Hopefully, the rest of the people who were set to be fired but were given promotions at the NSC under Waltz also depart," she wrote in another post.
Ms Loomer had taken a similar victory lap when several other NSC officials were dismissed last month one day after she met with Mr Trump.
Those firings included Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence; Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and David Feith, a senior director for technology and national security, as well as other lower-ranking aides.