MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump sacks Security Adviser but proposes him for UN diplomatic job

Discussions within the White House about a potential replacement for Mike Waltz as National Security Adviser had been ongoing for weeks

US President Donald Trump fired National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Thursday following a scandal involving a Signal group chat that mistakenly included a journalist and revealed sensitive military plans against Houthi targets in Yemen. The March 15 incident exposed operational details, including strike timings and targets, and implicated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Waltz's explanations were deemed inadequate, and he was criticized for poor staff vetting and ineffective foreign policy coordination.

As if to minimize the effects of his decision, Trump announced Waltz’s nomination as US Ambassador to the United Nations, a role requiring Senate confirmation, and appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as interim National Security Adviser. Rubio and Waltz had a meeting Thursday to discuss the transition. Deputy Adviser Alex Wong’s position is also uncertain, according to various local media reports.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote. “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. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.”

Trump had nominated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for the role of US ambassador to the United Nations, but she later withdrew from consideration amid speculation about her potential gubernatorial run in New York, which has created friction between her and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Meanwhile, discussions within the White House about a potential replacement for Waltz as National Security Adviser had been ongoing for several weeks.

Waltz angered Donald Trump after including journalist Jeff Goldberg -editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine- in a Signal group, sparking a national scandal. He claimed Goldberg’s contact was leaked to his phone, due to which the 51-year-old former Republican lawmaker from Florida also fell out of favor with members of Trump's cabinet. Goldberg afterward reported he had been included in the chat due to a mistake made by a Waltz staffer, who intended to include someone else. Possible replacements for Waltz include Steve Witkoff, Stephen Miller, Richard Grenell, and Sebastian Gorka.