Mike Waltz quits as Donald Trump's National Security Adviser after Signal chat leaks

Mike Waltz quits as Donald Trump's National Security Adviser after Signal chat leaks
GB News
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 01/05/2025

- 15:58

Updated: 01/05/2025

- 17:25

Waltz was one of Trump's first appointments after his election

Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Waltz will be "leaving his post next week", multiple sources close to the White House have claimed.

He will also be joined by his deputy, Alex Wong, with the pair stepping back from their roles on Thursday.


Waltz came under scrutiny in March after he put together a Signal chat and mistakenly included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg.

In the group, called "Houthi PC small group", confidential military plans, including strikes in Yemen, were discussed.

Mike Waltz

Waltz came under scrutiny in March after he put together a Signal chat and mistakenly included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg

REUTERS

Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth were also part of the group.

Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of the publication, later wrote about the incident extensively, sharing screenshots from the group chat.

The editor wrote up how he was privy to chats over operational details, as well as other sensitive information.

The strikes eventually took place on March 15 and saw over 50 people die.

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\u200bCongressman Mike Waltz

Waltz is the first major administration member to leave during Trump's second term

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The strikes eventually took place on March 15 and saw over 50 people die

The strikes eventually took place on March 15 and saw over 50 people die

REUTERS

iphone pictured on table with folder of messaging services shown on-screen including whatsap, telegram and signal The group accidentally added a journalist to a sensitive Signal group chat called 'Houthi PC small group'ADEM AY | UNSPLASH

The Atlantic initially did not publish the full details of the messages, saying it did not want to publish classified information.

However, following claims that the messages were fabricated, Goldberg said he believes that "people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions".

Trump said the texting of sensitive plans was "the only glitch in two months". He said he believed the chat contained "no classified information".

However, Democrats and some Republicans had called for an investigation into what several lawmakers described as a major breach.

Donald Trump

Trump said the texting of sensitive plans was 'the only glitch in two months'

POOL

Waltz is the first major administration member to leave during Trump's second term. He was one of Trump's first appointments after his election.

Wong served in the first Trump administration as deputy special representative for North Korea and also as Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department. Announcing his appointment, Trump said that he helped negotiate his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Democrats have already responded online to the reported departures, with Congressman Herb Conway calling it a "good start".

"One less person who will put our troops in harm's way and risk our national security," Congresswoman Julie Johnson writes in a post on X.

Congressman Eugene Vindman says they are "halfway there", calling for Hegseth to be given the chop too.