President Donald Trump has ousted National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong from their positions at the National Security Council, multiple sources confirmed Thursday, marking the first major staff departures of his second administration.
The dismissals come nearly two months after a controversial incident where The Atlantic magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat in which top national security officials discussed planned U.S. military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
“The National Security Advisor Waltz is out. He’s the first. He certainly won’t be the last,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Fox News upon confirmation of the shake-up.
White House officials had reportedly grown increasingly doubtful of Waltz’s leadership abilities in recent weeks, despite initial public support from the president.
The timing appears strategic, coming just after Trump’s 100-day milestone in office and before the president’s scheduled weekend at Mar-a-Lago following a Thursday night commencement address at the University of Alabama.
According to one report, “Trump reportedly did not want to fire Waltz and Wong until enough time had passed so it could be described as part of a West Wing reorganization.”
The decision comes with particularly dramatic timing, as Waltz had been at the White House Thursday morning and “gave no outward indication that his job was in jeopardy.” Just one day earlier, he had attended a Cabinet meeting where he praised Trump, saying, “It’s an honor to serve you in this administration. And I think the world is far better, far safer for it.”
When the Signal controversy first erupted in March, Waltz had taken full responsibility for the error.
“I take full responsibility. I built the group,” he told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. “It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Initially, the administration stood firmly behind Waltz. Trump told NBC News on March 25, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had declared the case “closed” on March 31, stating that “Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team.”
When asked about Waltz’s reported dismissal on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce didn’t deny the reports, telling Fox News, “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,” Bruce said.
The administration has consistently maintained that no classified information was shared in the Signal group chat. Several Democratic lawmakers had called for Waltz’s resignation, and even some Republicans on national security committees expressed concerns about using commercial messaging apps to discuss sensitive military operations.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Armed Services Committee, demanded other high-ranking officials in the Trump administration also be fired.
“The person who really should go is the secretary of Defense. He should be fired, literally before the end of the day. Mike Waltz, I think, is the fall guy here,” Blumenthal said.
Waltz, a decorated combat Green Beret veteran, had served as a Republican congressman from Florida before resigning on January 20 to join the Trump administration. The White House has not yet announced his replacement, though additional National Security Council staff changes are expected.
President Trump is anticipated to address the matter publicly in the coming days.