National security adviser Mike Waltz and deputy Alex Wong are leaving their positions in the Trump administration, according to multiple sources familiar with their departure.
President Trump announced Thursday he is nominating Waltz to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a position requiring Senate confirmation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily assume national security adviser responsibilities while maintaining his State Department leadership.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” Trump stated.
Journalist Mark Halperin first reported the departures. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is reportedly holding discussions with National Security Council staff members.
Waltz faced significant scrutiny in March after creating a Signal chat that accidentally included The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, inadvertently revealing discussions among top security officials about planned military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Goldberg initially withheld operational details in his reporting, but later published information about strike timing and weapons packages after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe denied classified information was shared.
After Waltz privately acknowledged the reporting’s accuracy, White House officials debated whether he should resign. However, Waltz never offered to step down, and President Trump did not request his resignation, instead publicly supporting him by calling Waltz “a good man” who “learned a lesson.”
One source familiar with the situation suggested the president believes sufficient time has passed since the Signal incident that these departures can be presented as part of a broader reorganization. Trump has reportedly been reluctant to remove Waltz to avoid appearing influenced by outside pressure.
Wong, who declined comment when reached by phone, previously served in the first Trump administration as deputy special representative for North Korea and deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department.
Sources indicate U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is unlikely to be considered for the national security adviser position. Some Trump allies have speculated that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller or deputy assistant and counterterrorism director Seb Gorka might be candidates due to their strong alignment with Trump’s vision. Special Presidential Envoy Ric Grenell publicly stated he does not want the position.
These latest departures follow the dismissal of at least six NSC staffers in early April. Those firings occurred shortly after right-wing personality Laura Loomer visited the Oval Office and presented opposition research on NSC staff she characterized as neoconservatives or insufficiently loyal to the president, according to one source.
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