In a major shakeup within the White House’s national security apparatus, US President Donald Trump has reportedly fired National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, along with his deputy, Alex Wong. The news, first reported by Fox News on May 1, has sent ripples through Washington’s political establishment, highlighting the ongoing internal turmoil within the Trump administration.
Although the White House has yet to officially comment on the matter, multiple outlets, including Axios and Politico, have confirmed that Waltz’s departure is imminent, if not already underway. According to sources cited by Fox News, Waltz and Wong were part of the latest “purge” of National Security Council (NSC) staffers, following mounting criticism over their roles in the so-called “Signalgate” scandal earlier this year.
The scandal that ultimately sealed Waltz’s fate erupted in March, when The Atlantic published a damning report based on leaked communications from an internal administration group chat. The chat, hosted on the encrypted messaging app Signal, reportedly involved senior officials discussing strategic attacks against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The leak itself was traced back to a catastrophic blunder by Waltz. According to The Atlantic, Waltz mistakenly saved the contact information of the magazine’s editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, under an incorrect name in his phone. Believing he was inviting a fellow official to join the chat, Waltz inadvertently granted a journalist access to sensitive internal discussions.
In an interview with Fox News shortly after the scandal broke, Waltz took full responsibility. “I take full responsibility. I built the group. … It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it,” he said. Despite Waltz’s public contrition and efforts to downplay the consequences, the damage to his credibility-and that of the administration-was profound.
President Trump himself initially sought to minimize the incident, describing it as a “witch hunt” fueled by media hysteria. He emphasized that no classified information had been compromised, blaming Signal’s platform for the confusion rather than any deliberate misconduct. Nevertheless, the incident fueled calls from inside and outside the administration for a major shakeup within the NSC.
Internal pressure on Trump to fire Waltz reportedly began building in earnest in April. According to CNN’s Alayna Treene, Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior officials urged Trump to remove Waltz, citing the national security risks posed by his carelessness. At the time, Trump resisted, expressing continued trust in his national security team and arguing that Waltz’s mistake did not warrant immediate dismissal.
However, as media scrutiny intensified and the administration sought to tighten its grip ahead of the November election, Trump appears to have reconsidered. Sources close to the president suggest that he concluded Waltz’s ongoing presence would be a distraction and a liability.
Still, the firing process has been somewhat chaotic. Axios reported that Waltz had not yet been formally removed as of the morning of May 1, though multiple officials confirmed that his departure was “expected soon.” The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to comment directly on the reports, stating, “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.”
Attention now turns to who will succeed Waltz as Trump’s next National Security Adviser. Politico identified Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy involved in facilitating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as a leading contender. Witkoff has reportedly built strong personal ties with both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, having visited Moscow several times in recent months.
However, according to CNN, Witkoff is not interested in assuming the national security portfolio. Sources close to Witkoff said he remains focused on his current diplomatic role and that he and his team do not expect him to be tapped for the high-pressure advisory position.
Without a clear frontrunner, Trump faces a critical decision at a time when international tensions, particularly with Iran, China, and Russia, demand steady and experienced leadership at the NSC.
The dismissal of Waltz marks yet another chapter in the Trump administration’s long-running struggles to maintain stability within its national security apparatus. Trump has cycled through several national security advisers during his presidency, including H.R. McMaster, John Bolton, and Robert O’Brien. Each departure has reflected deeper tensions within the administration between Trump’s instincts and the traditional security establishment.
Critics argue that Waltz’s firing highlights deeper vulnerabilities in the Trump White House, particularly its continued reliance on loyalty and personal trust over experience and institutional protocols. Others, however, see the move as a necessary step toward restoring credibility and discipline within the NSC after the “Signalgate” debacle.
Meanwhile, Democrats have seized on the scandal as evidence of broader dysfunction. “This is not just a personnel issue,” said Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in a statement. “It is about the basic competence of an administration charged with safeguarding American lives and interests.”
Trump allies, on the other hand, have defended the president’s decision, portraying it as an example of decisive leadership. “President Trump expects the highest standards from his team,” said one senior adviser. “When mistakes are made, there are consequences.”
As of now, Waltz remains officially in place, but his departure seems all but certain. Whether his firing will mark the end of the turmoil surrounding the NSC remains to be seen. Trump, facing a tough reelection battle and an increasingly volatile global landscape, will need a strong and reliable national security team more than ever.
For now, however, the focus remains on how quickly-and how cleanly-the president can replace yet another top adviser without further deepening perceptions of chaos within his administration.
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Damsana Ranadhiran, Special Contributor to Blitz is a security analyst specializing on South Asian affairs.
trump-fires-national-security-adviser-mike-waltz-amid-signalgate-fallout
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