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In a sudden reorganization of his national security team, Donald Trump has decided to remove the national security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong, after both had lost the confidence of senior administration officials and found themselves politically isolated in the White House. This was reported by two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Their exit marks the end of a tumultuous term, culminating in March in a scandal dubbed “Signalgate”: Waltz had inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, to a Signal chat where confidential information about imminent U.S. missile attacks in Yemen was being shared.
On Thursday evening, Trump announced via a post on Truth Social that he will nominate Secretary of State Marco Rubio as interim national security advisor, and that he will propose Waltz as the new United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump had initially considered the idea of firing Waltz over the Signal scandal, but then decided to avoid a formal removal of a senior official just weeks before the start of his second term. An internal review also found it to be a technical error, as Waltz had accidentally saved the Atlantic director’s number.
Paradoxically, the incident would have granted Waltz and Wong a further extension, despite being in difficulty for some time. Internal sources report that the relationship between Waltz and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – who had supported his appointment – was already tense, as well as with other senior members of the administration.
Even Wong had become a source of irritation for officials from other agencies involved in national security issues, complaining about the lack of control from Waltz. After the incident, Waltz had sought advice from Vice President JD Vance and his staff on how to mend relations, receiving the suggestion to be more deferential towards Wiles.
However, criticisms against him have continued, especially for his interventionist approach, considered in contrast with Trump’s “America First” agenda. In a meeting with Trump, Tucker Carlson, and other allies, Waltz was openly challenged. Even Steve Bannon led external pressures to remove him, while far-right activist Laura Loomer spread a conspiracy theory about Wong, claiming he was linked to China. Loomer, recently received at the White House at Trump’s invitation, managed to get several members of Waltz’s staff removed, further weakening his position.
In the past few days, it was clarified to Waltz and Wong that their tenure on the National Security Council had come to an end. On Wednesday, Waltz tried to stay by attending a cabinet meeting, but Thursday morning his removal was officially notified to him.The news was so sudden that many at the White House only learned about it that morning. Waltz, who had left a safe seat in Congress to take on the role, appeared on television shortly before the official announcement, apparently unaware that he was about to be removed.
His departure leaves the National Security Council without a comprehensive strategy. His work on delicate issues such as China, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific remains unfinished. Even his more moderate stance on the war in Ukraine – he had pushed for tough sanctions against Vladimir Putin in case of a failed peace agreement – could fade with his exit.
The Democratic minority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, welcomed Waltz’s dismissal but stated that the real issue is the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. “They are firing the wrong man. They should fire Hegseth,” he said, predicting new scandals similar to Signalgate.
The appointment of Marco Rubio as interim advisor has also taken the State Department by surprise: spokesperson Tammy Bruce learned the news live during a press conference. Rubio now holds four roles in the administration: Secretary of State, interim national security advisor, interim administrator of USAID, and interim national archivist.
