Trump's NSA Mike Waltz, deputy Alex Wong set to exit US administration

Donald Trump aide Mike Waltz set to exit US administration weeks after accidentally leaking military strike details in a Signal chat

US President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, will be leaving their positions, news agency Reuters reported Thursday.

 

The development comes weeks after Waltz 'inadvertently' added Atlantic magazine's editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat that included top officials from the Trump administration, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Vice President JD Vance.

 

The chat, according to media reports, included discussions about US military operations targeting the Houthi militants in Yemen. According to Goldberg’s subsequent report of the mix-up, Hegseth shared precise timings for airstrikes involving American warplanes and drones.

 

 

 

Trump initially defended Waltz, describing the incident as a "mistake" and stating "He's not getting fired". However, pressure mounted as lawmakers questioned intelligence officials during House and Senate hearings, especially after reports surfaced about a separate Signal chat where Hegseth had allegedly disclosed military details to his wife and brother.

 

Despite Hegseth’s repeated denials that he had exposed any classified plans, The Atlantic on Wednesday published screenshots showing him detailing specific strike times and delivery methods in the original group chat.

 

Waltz remained publicly unrepentant until shortly before stepping down. On Wednesday, he posted on X: “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS.”

 

Who is Mike Waltz?

Michael Waltz was one of the early appointments made by President Trump following his commencement earlier this year.  Before joining the Trump administration, Waltz represented Florida’s sixth congressional district in the House of Representatives from 2019 until his resignation in January to assume the advisory role.

 

During his time in Congress, he was a member of the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs committees. Waltz has also had a lengthy military career, serving in both the US Army and the National Guard. He retired with the rank of colonel after 27 years of service.

 

His departure marks the first high-profile exit from Trump’s administration, which passed its 100-day mark on Wednesday.