May 2, 2025
US President Donald Trump has fired his national security adviser, Mike Walz.
On social media, Trump thanked Walz for his work and said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would fill the vacant position.
Trump also said that he planned to nominate Walz to be the US ambassador to the United Nations. Walz was removed from his post just 102 days after Trump returned to the White House. He was the first of Trump’s inner circle to be fired.
Walz made international headlines after he mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of Atlantic magazine in a Signal group chat where the US was discussing a US strike on Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from senior US government officials over whether they discuss top-secret military matters outside of the official channels.
The leak has also become a political embarrassment for the US government. The Signal group chat included US Vice President James David Vance, as well as several ministers and other senior officials.
The former Florida congressman, who represented the US state of Florida, wrote on the social media site he founded, Truth, that he had served the country in the best possible way, wearing a uniform on the battlefield, serving in Congress, and serving as national security adviser in the White House.
Waltz posted a screenshot of a statement from Trump on the social media site X, saying he was “very proud” to continue serving President Trump and his great country.
Trump decided to replace Walz as national security adviser just hours before he fired her, CBS News reported.
It is reported that Walz’s removal from his current position was not only due to the Signal group chat leak, but also due to other internal and departmental controversies.
But Trump decided to offer Walz a new, high-profile position rather than a potentially embarrassing dismissal because of his personal respect for her, according to people familiar with the matter.
At the same time, there are indications that Walz may struggle to secure Senate confirmation for the new role, and in that case, the US government could remove him without having to fire him.
It is unclear what will happen to Walz’s deputy, Alex Wong. He is a veteran foreign policy expert who has worked with Trump since his first term as president and was in a Signal group chat.
Reference: BBC