US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to step down: reports
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The news: One of US President Donald Trump’s top aides, National Security adviser Michael Waltz, is reportedly stepping down from his post, just weeks after admitting his role in the Trump administration’s leaking of sensitive military information over Signal.
The context: First reported on Thursday by CBS, the news outlet cited multiple sources claiming that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong will be leaving their posts as soon as today (Thursday). The President's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is reportedly having conversations with some of the National Security Council staff today.
“We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said when asked for comment.
Politico reported that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s longtime friend who has served as the White House envoy for talks on Iran and Ukraine, is a potential replacement.
The Signal chat, set up by Waltz, had inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, and saw US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth test precise times for military strikes in Yemen, including F-18, drone and Tomahawk missile launches, hours before the operation began.
Waltz fell out of favour with the President after the scandal, and while Trump did not fire him immediately, the WSJ reports that Trump expressed his frustration privately.
The sources: Capital Brief, WSJ, Politico, CBS
