On 1 May US President Donald Trump confirmed that National Security Adviser Michael Waltz would be stepping down from his post, announcing his intention to nominate Waltz as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. The decision marks the first major reshuffle of the administration since Trump was inaugurated for his second term on 20 January. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed acting national security adviser.
Waltz was one of Trump’s earliest high-profile nominations following his historic comeback and re-election on 5 November. A US Representative from Florida, Waltz previously served as defence policy director under Defence Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates before entering Congress in 2018. He chaired the House Armed Services Subcommittee overseeing military logistics and served on the House Select Committee on Intelligence at the time of his appointment. Waltz has long been considered one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the administration and a staunch MAGA Republican.
However, his position was significantly weakened by the so-called Signalgate scandal, which erupted in March. Waltz had inadvertently added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Signal group chat intended for senior White House officials. The group, which included Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, was reportedly used to discuss sensitive military details regarding an operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Goldberg later published an exposé, sparking one of the most serious controversies of Trump’s second term. ‘I take full responsibility. I built the group. It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it,’ Waltz told Fox News in the aftermath.
Vance Denies Signalgate Link to Waltz’ Departure
JD Vance addressed the announcement shortly after it was made public, denying media speculation that Waltz had been dismissed due to Signalgate. ‘If anything, you could make a good argument that it’s a promotion,’ Vance said. He emphasized that Waltz had successfully led reforms at the National Security Council and was now entrusted with a key diplomatic post.
‘The media wants to frame this as a firing. Donald Trump has fired a lot of people—he doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards. What he believes is that Mike Waltz will better serve the administration, and more importantly, the American people, in that role,’ Vance told Fox News.
Steve Witkoff to Replace Waltz?
Waltz himself expressed gratitude following the announcement, sharing the president’s message on social media platform X and writing: ‘I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation.’
While Waltz’s successor has not yet been confirmed, media reports suggest that Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff—who has played a key role in Israeli–Hamas and Russia–US negotiations—could be tapped to lead the National Security Council.
Related articles:
