US President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong are stepping down from their posts, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources. Waltz had faced intense criticism in March after mistakenly adding The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat that revealed sensitive plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen, including details on the timings and weapons. Despite the scandal, Trump defended Waltz and others involved, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump told NBC News. Before joining the White House, Waltz represented Florida’s sixth congressional district in the House from 2019 until stepping down in January to take up his new role under Trump. During his time in Congress, he held positions on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs committees. Waltz also had a long military career, serving in the US Army and National Guard for 27 years before retiring with the rank of colonel. It was not immediately clear who would replace Waltz, but US special envoy Steve Witkoff is being considered as an option, according to another source cited by Reuters. Witkoff has worked on both Russia-Ukraine diplomacy and Middle East affairs. The Signal chat leak In late March, Goldberg revealed he was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat by someone named Mike Waltz. The chat included top-level administration officials, with accounts appearing to belong to Vice-President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Goldberg stated that he viewed classified US military plans for airstrikes in Yemen—details such as weapons packages, specific targets, and timing—“two hours before the bombs struck.” Waltz, at first, claimed he didn’t know how Goldberg ended up in the chat, but later admitted fault. Speaking to Fox News, he said: “I take full responsibility” and acknowledged he is the one who “built the group.”
