In the first major shakeup of President Donald Trump’s second term, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has stepped down following a controversy involving the mishandling of sensitive military information. His deputy, Alex Wong, is also departing the administration.
The incident, dubbed “Signalgate,” centers around a March 2025 event where Waltz inadvertently added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of *The Atlantic* to a Signal messaging group discussing classified U.S. military plans for airstrikes in Yemen. The inclusion of a journalist in such a sensitive discussion raised significant national security concerns and led to internal scrutiny.
Despite initial support from President Trump, who described Waltz as “a good man” who “learned a lesson,” the sustained pressure from the incident ultimately led to Waltz’s departure.
Waltz, a former Green Beret and congressman from Florida, had been appointed as National Security Adviser at the start of Trump’s second term in January 2025. His tenure was marked by efforts to implement Trump’s vision of prioritizing American interests both domestically and internationally, as reported on Trending Politics.
The White House has not officially announced Waltz’s replacement, but reports suggest that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy involved in diplomatic negotiations with Russia and the Middle East, is a leading candidate.
This departure marks the first significant personnel change in Trump’s current administration, highlighting the ongoing challenges in maintaining operational security within the national security team.