National Security Adviser Resigns After Mistakenly Adding Journalist to Secret Military Strike Chat

Security Breach Forces National Security Adviser's Exit

Waltz and Deputy Resign After Signal Chat Scandal Exposed Yemeni Strike Plans

WASHINGTON — National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, resigned from the Trump administration on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation about their futures following a security breach that exposed sensitive military planning for strikes in Yemen.

The resignations mark a significant shakeup in President Trump's national security team just over three months into his second term. The White House framed the departures as part of a broader reorganization effort, but multiple sources within the administration confirmed they were directly linked to the inadvertent inclusion of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, in a high-level Signal group chat discussing military operations.

"Mike Waltz is a good man who served his country honorably," President Trump said in a brief statement. "He learned a lesson, and we will be announcing his replacement shortly."

The White House did not immediately name successors for either position, though administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Steve Witkoff, currently serving as special envoy to the Middle East, is under consideration for the top role.

A Military Man's Rise and Fall

Waltz, a decorated Army Special Forces veteran with four Bronze Stars, had been a central architect of the administration's foreign policy approach since January. His journey to the National Security Council followed a trajectory that began with service in the Bush administration as a counterterrorism adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney and later included three terms representing Florida's 6th Congressional District.

"Waltz brought a soldier's perspective to the NSC," said a former colleague who worked with him in Congress. "He saw China and Iran as America's primary adversaries and pushed for military readiness above all else."

As chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness before joining the administration, Waltz established himself as a hardliner on defense spending and Middle East security issues. His advocacy for increased military appropriations and confrontational approaches toward Iran aligned with Trump's vision for his second term.

Wong, his deputy, brought complementary expertise, particularly regarding Asia policy. A veteran of Trump's first administration, Wong had played a significant role in the 2018 Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and was expected to spearhead efforts to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Together, they represented the administration's embrace of assertive military posturing and diplomatic disruption—until a single messaging error derailed their tenure.

The Accidental Leak

The crisis began on March 15, when Waltz created a Signal messaging group titled "Houthi PC small group" to coordinate potential airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The encrypted chat included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Vice President J.D. Vance.

In what one administration official described as "a catastrophic mistake," Waltz inadvertently added Goldberg to the chat, apparently due to a contact list error. Goldberg, realizing he was witnessing real-time discussions about classified military planning, observed conversations about strike timelines, weapon systems, and potential target locations.

"The moment was surreal," said a person familiar with Goldberg's reaction. "He suddenly had a window into one of the most sensitive planning processes in government."

While Goldberg initially withheld operational details from his reporting, citing concerns about endangering U.S. personnel, the revelation set off immediate alarm bells throughout the national security establishment. The administration's response proved contradictory and ultimately damaging.

Hegseth, Gabbard, and Ratcliffe testified to Congress that no classified information had been shared in the chat. However, internal NSC discussions revealed that Waltz had privately acknowledged the authenticity of the leaked details, creating a credibility gap that widened as more information became public.

The situation deteriorated further when The Atlantic published the full Signal chat transcript on March 25. Hegseth's message—"THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP"—directly contradicted his earlier assertion that no "war plans" were discussed.

Political Pressure Mounts

Congressional reaction broke largely along partisan lines but included notable exceptions. Democrats, led by Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, demanded immediate resignations, arguing the leak endangered U.S. troops and revealed fundamental lapses in operational security.

"When military planning is being conducted on private phones with the casual security of a fantasy football chat, we have a serious problem," Bennet said during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in late March.

More surprising was the criticism from certain Republican quarters. Representative Don Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, expressed concern about the breach's implications for military operations.

"We can't have a situation where potential enemies gain insight into our targeting processes," Bacon said in an interview. "Accountability matters, regardless of politics."

Within the White House, the scandal exposed divisions between those advocating for swift action and others concerned about appearing to bend to media pressure. Trump initially defended Waltz publicly, calling the incident a "glitch" with "no operational impact," even as internal discussions about Waltz's future intensified.

"The president was genuinely torn," said an administration official familiar with the deliberations. "He values loyalty and fighting back against critics, but the security implications were undeniable."

The delay in announcing the resignations reflected careful political calculation. By early May, the immediacy of the scandal had faded somewhat, allowing the White House to frame the departures as part of a strategic reorganization rather than a direct response to the security breach.

Systemic Security Concerns

Beyond the personal consequences for Waltz and Wong, the incident has raised broader questions about communication protocols within the administration. The use of encrypted commercial platforms like Signal, while intended to avoid traditional surveillance, introduced vulnerabilities through human error.

Further complicating matters, subsequent investigations revealed that Hegseth had shared strike details in a separate chat with family members and personal lawyers, illustrating what one former National Security Council staffer called "a casual approach to information that should be tightly controlled."

Military analysts point to the incident as evidence of a growing tendency to circumvent established channels for handling sensitive information. Traditional interagency review processes, designed to ensure proper vetting and security measures, were bypassed in favor of more expedient communication methods.

"When you're using the same app to plan military strikes that people use to coordinate happy hour, you've created an unnecessary risk," said a former Pentagon official who specializes in information security. "There's a reason classified systems exist, despite their cumbersome nature."

The breach has also raised questions about the appropriate use of encrypted messaging apps by government officials. While such platforms offer protection against external surveillance, they lack the institutional safeguards of government systems, including access controls and audit capabilities.

The Path Forward

As the administration prepares to name Waltz's successor, the incident has prompted calls for restructuring how the National Security Council handles sensitive communications. Congressional committees are already drafting legislation to mandate stricter controls on encrypted communications used for government business.

The timing is particularly challenging given ongoing tensions with Iran over its nuclear program and China's increasingly assertive posture in the South China Sea. The Yemen conflict, which precipitated the fateful Signal chat, continues to threaten regional stability and global shipping routes.

"Whoever comes next faces the dual challenge of rebuilding internal processes while managing multiple international crises," said a former NSC official who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations. "The learning curve will be steep, and adversaries will be watching for signs of disorganization."

For Waltz and Wong, the resignations mark an abrupt end to what many expected would be influential roles in shaping American foreign policy. For the administration, the challenge now shifts to restoring confidence in its national security decision-making at a moment of global instability.

"In national security, process matters as much as policy," said a retired diplomat with experience in multiple administrations. "When the process breaks down, the policy—no matter how sound—becomes vulnerable to execution failures that can have strategic consequences."

The administration has indicated it will announce new appointments to the National Security Council within the coming days.