Five people with knowledge of the decision said that President Donald Trump intends to fire national security adviser Mike Waltz because he has lost the trust of senior administration officials.
The folks stated that although he might depart soon, the decision is not final. Trump frequently changes his mind about plans he shares with his team and even makes public. Each of the five was given anonymity to talk about private information.
The West Wing has been discussing names for a replacement for weeks, but according to two people and another White House source, there have been talks in recent days to remove Waltz, possibly as soon as this week.
Waltz's departure would make him the first high-ranking official to exit the second Trump administration. To date, the president has resisted calls to fire top advisers and members of the Cabinet. The former Florida congressman and veteran of the armed forces would likewise have a spectacular fall.
"We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources," White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said when asked for comment.
If Waltz is fired, who would take over as head of the powerful White House National Security Council is unknown. According to the three, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is currently handling talks with Russia, Iran, and Hamas in Gaza, is a top choice.
Trump's special envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, NSC senior director for counterterrorism, Sebastian Gorka, and top policy chief Stephen Miller are more potential candidates.
As Trump's staff attempts to negotiate diplomatic resolutions to crises in three locations and fights a global trade war, Waltz's resignation would shock a national security team beset by disarray and turmoil.
According to two persons with knowledge of the situation, Alex Wong, the deputy national security adviser, is also anticipated to depart.
In just six years, Waltz went from serving on the House Armed Services Committee to the highest levels of the American national security system. There have been concerns about Waltz's future in the White House ever since The Atlantic first revealed that there was a Signal chat in which senior Trump administration officials discussed plans to target members of the Iran-backed Houthi insurgent group in Yemen.
Many others in the West Wing were incensed at Waltz's careless error, even though Trump and administration officials frequently expressed faith in him. Waltz started the discussion and unintentionally invited The Atlantic's editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, to join it. According to both current and former officials, the details of the March airstrikes, such as the time and weaponry employed, were probably classified as highly sensitive.
Waltz has been further undermined after far-right activist Laura Loomer met with Trump and convinced him to replace top officials and members of the National Security Council, including Gen. Tim Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency, due to allegiance issues. Additionally, Loomer attacked Wong, Waltz's deputy, claiming that the Chinese immigrant's son was furthering Chinese interests.
Loomer texted POLITICO the single word "loomered" in reaction to rumors that Waltz had been fired.
Waltz's ability to exert influence inside the government was severely hampered by the incident and his incapacity to protect his employees from Loomer's efforts. White House and State Department officials began to doubt his capacity to manage the NSC efficiently. According to two persons with knowledge of the situation, Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, had hardly been speaking to Waltz because she was so angry with him.
During his four years in office, Trump had four different national security advisers, a sign of his tense relationship with several of them. Trump favors a smaller organization that operates more like staff, but previous presidents have given the national security adviser authority akin to that of a principal.
According to a senior White House ally, Waltz suffered because he behaved more like a principal and less like a staffer.
Waltz had trouble assigning individuals to high positions within the NSC, a symptom that he was unable to acquire clout. His selections for important senior director NSC positions on strategy, nuclear and strategic issues, and African affairs, among other areas, were denied by other White House officials, leaving many important positions unfilled.
Hard-line MAGA appointees in the White House thought his choices were too establishment. Three of Waltz's selections for Africa were turned down in succession. The position is still open.
With Waltz's dismissal, attention will probably shift to troubled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Even though the Signal incident and the subsequent disclosure of additional similar text threads have rocked the Pentagon and resulted in the retirement of many of his senior advisers, Trump has persisted in defending himself.
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