Waltz exit latest ‘chaos’ on Trump national security team
The ousting of national security adviser Mike Waltz triggered a major shake-up in President Trump’s White House team, which is divided between America First-isolationists and traditional Republican hawks.
Trump announced Thursday afternoon that Waltz, a hawkish former congressman, would become his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio serving as national security adviser in the interim.
Waltz has been targeted by MAGA loyalists inside and outside the administration over an alleged lack of commitment to the president’s agenda, and he was at the center of a Signal chat scandal that marked a low point of Trump’s first 100 days.
His removal adds to the tumult in Trump’s national security teams. It comes a month after multiple top National Security Council officials were fired along with the head of the National Security Agency and as the Pentagon is roiled by a leak investigation and firings among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s top staff.
“Mike Waltz’s abrupt dismissal is further proof of the chaos and incompetence that has reigned over President Trump’s White House and national security team during his first 100 days in office,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee.
“The stunning amount of turnover of senior staff at both the National Security Council and at the Pentagon is alarming.”
While the U.N. post would give Waltz a platform on the international stage, it moves him far from the Oval Office.
Some Republicans expressed disappointment when word of Waltz’s firing as national security adviser emerged.
“He did a very good job as national security adviser. It’s the prerogative of the president to decide who his team will be, but I was sorry to see that news,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said.
Those in traditional GOP foreign policy circles who see Waltz as a trusted figure may find solace in Rubio stepping into the role. Both are cut from the same cloth, supportive of working with U.S. allies and confronting adversaries.
Waltz’s dismissal is likely less related to his poor handling of text messages and more with personnel clashes with some of Trump’s fiercest MAGA supporters. Axios reported that Waltz clashed with Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles and had tense relationships with Vance and Trump’s close aide Steve Witkoff.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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