Trump’s National Security Adviser Waltz Dismissed: What He Said on Ukraine
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, have been dismissed, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, The Gaze reports, citing CBS News and Fox News.
The White House has not issued an official statement, and it did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move follows a controversy in March, when Waltz accidentally included The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat involving senior national security officials. The chat included details of a planned U.S. military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Goldberg initially withheld operational specifics in his reporting, but later published them — including timing and weapons used — after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe denied any classified information had been shared.
Waltz privately confirmed the authenticity of the reporting, prompting internal debate over whether he should resign. However, he did not offer to step down, and President Trump stood by him at the time, saying Waltz was “a good man” who “learned a lesson.”
Waltz’s departure also comes as he voices pointed criticism of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Ukraine was and remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We must always protect our taxpayers; billions have gone there. I don’t think (I remember when I was in Congress) that the previous administration exercised proper oversight over the funds it provided,” the adviser said. He added that the current U.S. administration should “closely monitor” this.
He also faulted Zelenskyy for his handling of early meetings with President Trump and missed diplomatic opportunities: “Instead of trying to correct the president (Donald Trump — ed.) in the Oval Office during their first meeting, Zelenskyy could have sat side by side with him, signing the minerals agreement,” he noted.
Waltz further argued: “We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war. And if it becomes apparent that President Zelenskyy’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands.”
Read more on The Gaze: Could Trump “Turn” Russia Away from China - and What Price Would the EU and Ukraine Pay for It?