Multiple sources familiar with the issue are reporting that National Security advisor Mike Waltz (R) and his deputy, Alex Wong, are expected to leave the Trump Administration. Though the departures are presented as part of a routine reorganization, they follow months of internal tension stemming from security controversies like “Signalgate.”
The controversy surrounding the Trump officials began earlier this year when Waltz mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in a private Signal chat discussing U.S. military plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.
Goldberg initially withheld sensitive operational details but later published them after top national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (R), confirmed no classified information had been shared.
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Following confirmation from Waltz of the leak’s authenticity, White House officials reportedly debated his future in the Trump Administration. At the time of the controversy, President Donald Trump (R) publicly defended his national security advisor, calling him “a good man” who had “learned a lesson.”
Sources say the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, has begun discussing staff changes with members of the National Security Council. One insider noted that the White House believes enough time has passed since the incident to make the departures appear unrelated to the earlier controversy. The source added that President Trump was reluctant to look like he was caving to outside pressure.
Wong, a veteran of the first Trump administration, played a key diplomatic role in U.S.–North Korea relations. He previously served as deputy special representative for North Korea and as deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
President Trump once credited Wong with helping negotiate his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The White House has not issued an official comment on the departures, but sources indicate that President Trump will be releasing a statement soon.
BREAKING: National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is out, along with his deputy Alex Wong. Additional names likely to come. Expect to hear from POTUS on this soon, I’m told.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 1, 2025
