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It appears that the White House is going through a shakeup. One month after the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic exposed a Signal group chat involving multiple officials from Donald Trump‘s administration, his national security advisor, Mike Waltz, was reported to be leaving his position. Naturally, many are wondering if he was fired or if he was leaving by choice.
Who Is Mike Waltz?
Before becoming Trump’s national security advisor, Waltz was the U.S. representative for Florida’s 6th congressional district, serving from 2019 to 2025. Prior to this, Waltz served in the Special Forces, becoming the first solider to be elected to Congress.
Waltz also worked under former President George W. Bush‘s administration as a defense policy director and as the counterterrorism advisor to former Vice President Dick Cheney.
After winning the 2024 election, Trump selected Waltz to be his national security advisor, calling him an “expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and global terrorism” and a “champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of peace through strength” in a statement at the time.
Was Mike Waltz Fired?
Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were fired from their positions, according to Fox News. The outlet further reported that Trump is expected to publicly discuss the matter at some point.
Waltz’s firing comes as a surprise to some because Trump told NBC News that Waltz was a “good man” and had “learned a lesson” from his Signal group chat mistake.
Despite losing his position, Trump announced that he would nominated Waltz to serve as the next U.S. ambassador for the United Nations in a Truth Social post.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” Trump wrote on May 1. “I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Why Was Mike Waltz Fired?
The White House has not provided an exact reason yet for Waltz’s firing. However, his removal comes weeks after his Signal group chat controversy, which he took “full responsibility” for, per a statement obtained by Fox News.
“I take full responsibility. I built the group,” Waltz admitted, adding, “It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Who Is Replacing Mike Waltz?
It’s currently unclear who could replace Waltz as the next national security advisor.
