The United States President, Donald Trump, has sacked his National Security Adviser, Michael Waltz, for mistakenly adding a journalist to a highly sensitive Signal group chat detailing planned military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Daily Mail confirmed Waltzâs removal, marking the first cabinet-level dismissal of Trumpâs second term.
The scandal, dubbed âSignalgate,â erupted after Atlantic editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a chat involving 17 senior officials.
Goldberg later published the full content of the messages, triggering widespread condemnation and intense media scrutiny.
A source told the Daily Mail that Waltzâs departure was expected, and Trump is likely to make a formal announcement soon.
Steve Witkoff, the presidentâs special envoy who has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is being considered as a potential replacement.
âThis has to do about competence, not ideology,â journalist Mark Halperin said on his 2Way YouTube show. He added, âI do believe he has made up his mind, but he could change his mind.â
Halperin reported âunhappiness throughout the national security establishmentâ with Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, over the breach.
Waltz had kept his position for weeks despite the fallout, appearing on Fox and Friends Thursday morning to praise a new minerals deal with Ukraine as âgood for the American taxpayerâ and âgood for Ukraine.â
He also attended a Cabinet meeting hosted by Trump on Wednesday.
The mistake seriously damaged Waltzâs credibility.
In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, he tried to explain how Goldberg ended up in the group, saying, âWell, if you have somebody else’s contact and then it, and then somehow it gets sucked in.â
Trump previously held back from firing Waltz, reportedly to avoid giving Goldberg the satisfaction.
But in a recent interview with The Atlantic, the president gave a tepid endorsement: âWaltz is fine. I mean, heâs here. He just left this office. Heâs fine. He was beat up also.â
