Mike Waltz is expected to step down from his role as President Trump’s national security adviser in the first major shakeup since the president took office in January, according to a source familiar with the matter told the New York on Thursday. The former Florida congressman was seen at the White House on Thursday morning.
However, he did not show no visible indication that his jo was at risk. Waltz found himself at the center of controversy last month after he admitted to accidentally adding Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat of administration officials, where classified information about the March 15 strikes on Yemen’s Houthis were discussed.
Unceremonious Exit
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Waltz’s fate was almost sealed after he was told earlier this week that his tenure as head of the National Security Council was over, according to a source familiar with the matter. Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong and several others on the national security team are also expected to be fired, though the exact timing remains unclear, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.
Real estate developer Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend of Trump and current special envoy, is being considered as a possible replacement for Waltz, the source added.
Witkoff has been involved in negotiations with Russia and Iran as part of Trump’s efforts to broker international deals.
Waltz has been on shaky ground for some time now, as he had lost much of his influence within the West Wing after he accidentally included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing highly classified military operations.
Although Trump considered firing him after the incident, he ultimately chose not to, aiming to avoid giving political opponents a sense of victory and to prevent the kind of turmoil that marked his first term.
No Choice Left for Trump
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However, according to four sources, Waltz never fully regained his footing, and his influence among senior White House staff continued to erode. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was reportedly among those who had long held doubts about Waltz’s performance, even before the messaging app mishap.
Now 100 days into his second term, Trump seems less worried about the optics of internal upheaval. Several sources familiar with the situation have described Waltz’s likely removal as inevitable, saying it’s a question of “when, not if.”
When asked about the possibility of Waltz’s firing during a live appearance on Fox News, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce didn’t refute the reports, simply stating, “I’m not gonna get ahead of what the president may or may not say later today.”
“What I do know is that the talent bench in this country and for this government is deep … the president is engaged in every aspect of the country, and the choices he makes moving forward will be, as usual, excellent and will be in the best interests of the American people.”
