National security adviser Waltz is reportedly being removed from his White House position

Mike Waltz, the national security adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, is being removed from his position, according to four sources familiar with the situation, marking the first significant change in Trump’s close team since he assumed office in January.

Additionally, Waltz‘s deputy, Alex Wong, an expert on Asia and a former State Department official focused on North Korea during Trump’s first term, is also departing, as reported by two individuals to Reuters.

Waltz, a 51-year-old ex-Republican lawmaker from Florida, faced internal criticism within the White House after being implicated in a March incident involving a Signal chat among senior Trump national security officials. It remains uncertain who will succeed Waltz, but one potential candidate is U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has participated in both Russia-Ukraine negotiations and Middle Eastern affairs, according to one source. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was also mentioned as a possible successor, the same source indicated.

The role of national security adviser is influential but does not require Senate confirmation. The NSC serves as the primary entity for presidents to coordinate security strategies, with its staff often making critical decisions regarding America’s response to the world’s most unstable conflicts.

Waltz was criticized for inadvertently including the editor of The Atlantic magazine in a private discussion about an upcoming U.S. bombing operation in Yemen, a mistake reported by The Atlantic. During a later Cabinet meeting where Waltz was present, Trump indicated his preference for conducting such discussions in secure environments, signaling his dissatisfaction.

However, at that time, he and others in the White House expressed their trust in Waltz. Waltz also participated in Trump’s televised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Democrats who expressed outrage over the Signal scandal reacted positively to the news regarding Waltz. ‘It’s about time,’ remarked Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

Sources indicated that the Signal controversy was not the only issue surrounding Waltz. An insider familiar with the Cabinet’s internal workings noted that Waltz’s hawkish stance was at odds with the war-averse Trump, and he was perceived as ineffective in coordinating foreign policy across various agencies, which is a crucial responsibility of the national security adviser.

‘The system isn’t functioning properly,’ the source stated, requesting anonymity. Waltz’s departure may raise concerns among U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, who viewed him as a proponent of traditional alliances like NATO and as someone who moderated the more confrontational perspectives held by some of Trump’s other advisors, according to a foreign diplomat in Washington who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.