Trump removes Mike Waltz from his post as national security adviser
Amidst recent shakeups in the Trump administration, Mike Waltz, the former National Security Advisor, has found himself out of a job following a high-profile Signal group chat leak involving sensitive military discussions. Fox News first reported the dismissal on May 1st. Interestingly enough, President Trump announced Waltz's nomination for the role of United States Ambassador to the United Nations later in the day.
Waltz, a decorated Green Beret and former Florida congressman, had been under scrutiny since March when it was revealed he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat where top officials, including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, engaged in discussions about military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Waltz later took full responsibility for the incident, calling it "embarrassing" in an April interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, and also acknowledged his role in creating and hosting other sensitive national-security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including those on peace between Russia and Ukraine.
With Waltz's departure, there's speculation about who might take his place. According to CNN, Steve Witkoff, a longtime associate of Trump, is reportedly being considered as a possible replacement. However, sources indicate that Witkoff himself wasn't interested in the position.
Witkoff, a real estate developer with limited diplomatic experience, has been Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, playing a crucial role in negotiations involving Ukraine and Iran. He has also been instrumental in securing the release of U.S. schoolteacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison.
Despite Witkoff's potential nomination, there are concerns among some officials about his alignment with Russian narratives and his informal role in key international negotiations, including U.S. talks with Iran and efforts to end the Russian war in Ukraine. Recent developments suggest that Secretary of State Marco Rubio may serve as the acting National Security Advisor temporarily until a permanent replacement is found.
Overall, while Steve Witkoff has significant experience in diplomatic roles, his likelihood of becoming the permanent National Security Advisor may be low, with other candidates, such as Richard Grenell and White House officials like Stephen Miller and Seb Gorka, also being considered for the position.
- Steve Witkoff, a longtime associate of Trump, is reportedly being considered as a possible replacement for Mike Waltz, who was dismissed as the National Security Advisor following a Signal group chat leak involving sensitive military discussions.
- Witkoff, a real estate developer with limited diplomatic experience, has been Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, playing a crucial role in negotiations involving Ukraine and Iran, but concerns about his alignment with Russian narratives and informal role in key international negotiations persist.
- Despite these concerns, with Waltz's departure, Witkoff's name has surfaced among potential candidates for the National Security Advisor role, joining a list that includes Richard Grenell, Stephen Miller, and Seb Gorka.
- Meanwhile, recent developments suggest that Secretary of State Marco Rubio may serve as the acting National Security Advisor temporarily until a permanent replacement is found, adding another layer of complexity to the general news, politics, and crime-and-justice landscape revolving around war-and-conflicts.
