Trump removes waltz as nsa replaces him with rubio

Trump removes waltz as nsa replaces him with rubio

The NSA has been under pressure since March after he accidentally added an editor to a Signal group where officials discussed Yemen attack plans; Waltz’s deputy Alex Wong also makes his exit.

U.S. President Donald Trump ousted his national security adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim replacement in the first major shake-up of Mr. Trump’s inner circle since he took office in January.

Mr. Trump, in a social media post, said he would be nominating Mr. Waltz to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, adding that “he has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first.”

Earlier in the day, sources said Mr. Trump had decided to force Mr. Waltz out of his White House position.

Mr. Trump’s selection of Mr. Rubio to replace Mr. Waltz temporarily will be the first time since Henry Kissinger in the 1970s that one person held both the positions of Secretary of State and National Security Adviser. Mr. Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, an Asia expert who was a State Department official focused on North Korea during Mr. Trump’s first term, is also leaving his post, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The National Security Adviser is a powerful role that does not require Senate confirmation.

Mr. Waltz, a 51-year-old former Republican lawmaker from Florida, had been under pressure since the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic Magazine revealed in March that Mr. Waltz had mistakenly added him to a chat on the commercial messaging app Signal about attacks on Houthi rebels.

Officials on the chat laid out the attack plan including the timings that U.S. warplanes would take off to bomb targets in Yemen, with the first texts barely half an hour before they launched.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has also faced pressure over the scandal.

Mr. Waltz showed no sign that he knew of his imminent departure when appearing early Wednesday on Fox News, where he hailed the new U.S. minerals deal with Ukraine.

“Nobody said (it) could be done. President Trump said ‘get it done’,” he said.

Saying Mr. Trump has boosted U.S. military recruitment, he added: “This is leadership at its finest, led by our commander in chief, who loves the troops and they love him.”

Mr. Waltz also was present at Mr. Trump’s televised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Moderate voice

A former special forces officer, Mr. Waltz was seen as a moderate voice in the Trump administration when he was appointed, but reportedly clashed with other officials over his hawkish stance against Russia and Iran.

However, Mr. Waltz was among a number of White House staff targeted by a right-wing influencer and conspiracy theorist who met with Mr. Trump urging a purge.

Laura Loomer, who is known for claiming that the September 11, 2001 attacks were an inside job, is reported to have successfully pushed for the dismissal of several senior U.S. security officials she deemed disloyal to the president.

After news of Mr. Waltz and Mr. Wong’s ouster was reported on Thursday, Ms. Loomer posted on X: “SCALP.”

Reacting to Mr. Waltz’s reported dismissal, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer posted on X: “Now do Hegseth.”