Trump's NSA Mike Waltz Booted After Messaging Fiasco

Mike Waltz, center, with Scott Bessent (left) and Pete Hegseth (right) on Feb. 24, 2025. Photo courtesy of the White House. Public domain.

It started with a single mistaken tap — a digital blunder buried inside a private Signal chat between some of the most powerful men in America.

What followed was a fallout so explosive that it forced the first major reshuffling inside President Donald Trump's second-term administration. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is out. And while the White House is apparently calling it a "reassignment," few are buying the idea that this was just a routine reordering.

The Incident That Sparked It All

Back in March, Waltz — a former congressman and Green Beret — reportedly created a Signal group with senior national security officials to coordinate strategy on Yemen. But things went off the rails when he accidentally added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the chat.

Goldberg witnessed a series of jaw-dropping exchanges, including mockery of European allies and detailed discussions on impending airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. One message from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly even listed time-stamped plans and military details — before the attacks occurred.

Once Goldberg leaked the chat, all hell broke loose. The screenshots were damning, not just because of their contents, but because of the risk they posed to national security. And it didn't help that Waltz was the one who added Goldberg to the group.

Waltz later told Fox News that it was a mix-up — a contact mix-up, to be exact. "Have you ever had somebody's contact that shows their name and then you have somebody else's number there?" he asked, as reported by PEOPLE. "You've got somebody else's number on someone else's contact, so of course I didn't see this loser in the group. It looked like someone else."

A Fragile Grip on Power

Even before the Signal mishap, Waltz was facing pressure from inside the Trump camp. His hawkish foreign policy views were increasingly out of step with Trump's "America First" strategy, and he had reportedly clashed with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and others in the administration.

Then came whispers from within Mar-a-Lago. Sources said Trump was polling his inner circle about whether Waltz and Hegseth should stay. While Trump initially defended Waltz, calling him "a good man" according to PEOPLE, insiders noted that his tone had cooled.

By early May, the writing was on the wall. POLITICO reported that Trump was preparing to fire Waltz, with five sources close to the situation confirming the decision.

Not a Demotion?

In an attempt to spin the narrative, Trump announced that Waltz would be nominated as ambassador to the United Nations — a Senate-confirmed role with prestige, but significantly less daily influence over military and foreign policy decisions.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump posted on Truth Social that Waltz "has worked hard to put our Nation's Interests first." Waltz echoed that sentiment in a statement on X, saying he was "honored" to continue serving the administration.

Critics, however, weren't convinced. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) warned Waltz would face a "brutal" confirmation hearing, stating he was "incapable" of handling classified information, according to The Hill.

MAGA Pushback and 'Loomered' Fallout

Adding fuel to the fire, far-right activist Laura Loomer reportedly played a role in Waltz's downfall. According to POLITICO, Loomer had urged Trump to clean house at the National Security Council, accusing Waltz of employing staff with anti-Trump sentiments and targeting his deputy, Alex Wong, for alleged pro-China sympathies.

After Waltz's removal was made official, Loomer texted POLITICO a single word: "Loomered."

The perception, fairly or not, is that Trump bent to pressure from the MAGA base — a group that had never fully embraced Waltz, viewing him as too establishment for the movement.

A Legacy Undone by a Single Mistake?

Waltz's rise had been swift. In under a decade, he went from House Armed Services Committee member to one of the most powerful national security voices in Washington. But in the end, it was a single misstep — a mistaken contact, a wrong addition to a group chat — that brought it all crashing down.

His departure has left a vacuum in one of the most sensitive national security roles — one now temporarily filled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. As of this writing, Trump has not announced a permanent replacement.

Whether Waltz's fall is remembered as an unfortunate mistake or a revealing purge remains to be seen.

References: Trump Is Ousting National Security Adviser Mike Waltz After He Put a Journalist in the Signal Group Chat: Reports | Trump Ousts Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser | Waltz Faces 'Brutal, Brutal' Confirmation Hearing: Senate Democrat | What Led to Mike Waltz's Ouster as Trump's National Security Adviser? | National security advisor Mike Waltz takes responsibility for 'embarrassing' Signal chat leak