U.S. President Donald Trump has removed Mike Waltz from his post as national security adviser and announced plans to nominate him as ambassador to the United Nations, in a move that comes amid growing scrutiny over a sensitive security blunder.
Waltz, one of Trump’s closest national security aides and a former Florida congressman, is the first senior official to exit the White House in Trump’s second term. The decision follows weeks of backlash after Waltz mistakenly added a prominent journalist to a Signal chat where confidential military plans were being discussed.
In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Waltz’s service and said he would continue to serve the nation with the same dedication in his new role. “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,” Trump wrote. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
For now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take on the additional role of national security adviser, becoming the first person since Henry Kissinger to hold both posts simultaneously. Rubio, already juggling other key interim roles, now oversees U.S. foreign policy, national security, USAID, and the National Archives.
Multiple sources told CBS News that Waltz’s ouster stemmed from concerns over the Signal chat incident and a broader perception that he failed to properly vet National Security Council staff. The chat included discussions about a possible U.S. military strike on Yemen’s Houthis, and included top officials like Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Waltz mistakenly added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to the conversation.
Though Trump’s team has not confirmed whether Waltz will be confirmed for the UN post, insiders suggest the move may offer the president a diplomatic way to remove a politically damaged aide without a direct firing. Several U.S. officials told the BBC that the Senate confirmation process could prove difficult for Waltz — a hurdle that may conveniently stall or block his appointment altogether.
The fallout has also cast uncertainty over Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, a respected policy expert from Trump’s first term who was also part of the Signal chat. Wong, when asked about the leak during a BBC Newsnight interview this week, emphasized the administration’s military strategy against the Houthis, stating, “The president led on that.”
Lawmakers previously questioned other chat participants, including the CIA director and the Director of National Intelligence, during hearings in March.
The UN ambassador role remains vacant after Trump withdrew his initial nominee, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, to protect Republicans’ narrow majority in the House.
Trump’s sudden decision to elevate Rubio to the dual roles reportedly blindsided many within the State Department. Still, it marks another chapter in the revolving-door history of national security advisers under Trump. In his first term alone, Trump went through four, including Michael Flynn — who lasted just 24 days — and John Bolton, who later wrote a scathing memoir about the former president.
As news of Waltz’s demotion broke, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz cheekily weighed in on X, posting, “Mike Waltz has left the chat.”