What to Know About National Security Advisor Waltz's Departure

Michael Waltz is leaving as national security adviser, people familiar with the matter said, a stunning fall for one of Donald Trump’s top aides and the highest-profile departure yet of the president’s second term.

Waltz came under fire in the weeks since he acknowledged inadvertently adding Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat group set up to discuss pending attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The people asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

Waltz’s deputy Alex Wong is also departing, according to several media reports. Wong had been singled out in a barrage of social-media posts by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who also took credit for the firings in April of several top national-security officials. The White House declined to comment.

On Thursday, Loomer wrote a one-word post on X — “SCALP” — that linked to an earlier post that called for Wong’s removal.

There was little public indication that Waltz’s firing had been imminent. The former Florida congressman traveled with Trump aboard Marine One on Tuesday for an event commemorating his first 100 days in office and spoke at a meeting of Trump’s Cabinet on Wednesday. Waltz also appeared on Fox News earlier Thursday to tout a natural-resources deal signed the day before by the US and Ukraine.

He called it “good for the American taxpayer” and touted the work of Trump’s national security team.

But one person familiar with the matter, who also asked not to be identified discussing private discussions, said Trump had soured on Waltz after the Signal chat imbroglio. The president believed Waltz erred when he asked Elon Musk to look into how Goldberg got added to his phone, according to the person.

Waltz should have just admitted he made a mistake and not suggested there was something more nefarious at play, the person said.

Waltz included Goldberg in the text thread days before the attack. The text group, which also included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others, discussed details of plans for strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have staged numerous attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Trump later offered a tepid defense of Waltz in an interview with Goldberg and other reporters with the Atlantic.

Bloomberg's Dan Flatley reports.

“Waltz is fine,” Trump said. “I mean, he’s here. He just left this office. He’s fine. He was beat up also.”

Waltz had been known for his hawkish views on Russia, China and Iran, and his appointment had offered a measure of reassurance to some Republicans who feared the more isolationist views of Trump’s son, Donald Jr. and the MAGA base. His ouster, along with Loomer’s apparent role in the firings of several others, suggests that faction is gaining even more sway.

Trump cycled through four national security advisers in his first term and his team had been anxious to cut down on staff turmoil this time around. Trump, who just marked his first 100 days in office, has been weakened politically with polls showing voters are wary of his economic agenda and worried that about the impact of sweeping tariffs.

In Trump’s first term, the first national security adviser, retired General Michael Flynn, resigned after less than a month on the job. Trump also churned through two secretaries of state and four defense secretaries — two of them who served in an acting capacity.

Waltz joined the Trump administration after serving six years in Congress. He’s a former Army Green Beret who served multiple tours in Afghanistan. As national security adviser he was responsible for coordinating foreign policy within the West Wing and briefing the president on global crises

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