Mike Waltz To Step Down As US National Security Adviser After Yemen Chat Leak Controversy: Reports
Mike Waltz, the United States National Security Adviser who had faced scrutiny over a leaked Signal chat related to a military strike in Yemen, is expected to step down from his position in the Trump White House, according to US media reports citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The White House has not yet responded to the claims.
Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, will also be leaving his post. Both are anticipated to depart by Thursday, CBS News reported. The report states that the US President’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, is currently holding discussions with members of the National Security Council staff.
CNN cited sources as saying that special envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and friend of Trump, is under consideration to replace Waltz, though no decision has been reached. “President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago,” a source was quoted as saying by CNN.
Witkoff has led US negotiations with Russia and Iran as Trump aims to lock international deals.
While the Trump administration publicly maintained that no classified information had been shared, Waltz faced criticism from pro-Trump personalities such as Laura Loomer, news agency AP reported. Loomer reportedly expressed frustration over being excluded from the vetting process for National Security Council appointments and accused Waltz of favouring “neocons” and individuals she felt were “not-MAGA-enough.”
Yemen Chat Leak Controversy
Waltz came under the spotlight in March after inadvertently including journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic in a Signal group chat that included discussions with senior national security officials regarding a military operation targeting Houthi forces in Yemen. Goldberg initially published a report excluding sensitive details. However, after then-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe denied any classified material had been shared, Goldberg released further information, including the timing of the airstrikes and the weapons involved.
Waltz reportedly admitted in closed-door meetings that the contents of the report were accurate. While some White House officials debated whether he should resign, Waltz did not offer to do so, and US President Donald Trump chose not to demand his resignation. Publicly, Trump stood by Waltz, calling him “a good man” who had “learned a lesson.”
According to a source cited by CBS News at the National Security Council, Trump believes enough time has passed since the leak incident for Waltz and Wong’s departure to be portrayed as part of a routine reorganisation. The source added that the US president was reluctant to dismiss Waltz earlier, fearing it might appear as if he were succumbing to external pressure.
Alex Wong, who served during Trump’s first term as Deputy Special Representative for North Korea and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, was credited by Trump for playing a key role in negotiating the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Signal messages in question also revealed that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had shared the exact timings of airstrikes. Waltz had assumed full responsibility for setting up the chat and maintained that he did not know how Goldberg was included in the chain, insisting he had not knowingly added the journalist.
As recently as Thursday morning, Waltz appeared on television promoting a U.S.-Ukraine agreement regarding access to critical minerals. Following reports of his impending departure, Loomer took to social media platform X and posted the word “SCALP”, seemingly claiming credit for his ouster.
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