National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong are reportedly preparing to exit the Trump administration, marking what could be the biggest shake-up yet within the President’s security inner circle since the start of his second term.
According to CNN and Politico, both Waltz and Wong are expected to leave their positions in the coming days. The news follows weeks of speculation after a damaging leak involving a private messaging app cast a cloud over Waltz’s future.
The trouble began when a report from *The Atlantic* revealed that its editor-in-chief had somehow been added to a secure Signal chat used by White House national security officials to coordinate potential strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Though no classified material was shared, the breach was enough to raise eyebrows—and suspicions.
Waltz, a former Green Beret and congressman from Florida who joined the administration after Trump’s reelection, initially had the President’s backing. Trump publicly defended him, and senior intelligence officials confirmed that no classified material had been compromised. But the internal fallout was another story.
According to White House insiders, the incident eroded confidence among Trump’s closest aides and allies on the National Security Council. Several officials were quietly dismissed from the team in the weeks that followed. Waltz reportedly spent much of April trying to stabilize his standing, lobbying key figures within the West Wing to stay on board.
But sources told CNN that Waltz’s efforts to stay in the job “never fully recovered” from the Signal mishap. Trust, once lost, proved difficult to regain—especially with Trump’s top brass now focused on eliminating any remaining risks heading into a critical stretch of foreign policy decisions.
By this week, sources told *Politico*, discussions about Waltz’s replacement had escalated. The effort to transition him out of the National Security Council reportedly picked up steam over the last several days. While no official successor has been named, insiders suggest that Trump is weighing several loyalists who have been vetted through the first 100 days of the administration.
The departure of Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong further underscores the turmoil within the national security team. Wong, a seasoned foreign policy adviser and veteran of the State Department, had been serving as Waltz’s right-hand man since January. His exit suggests a full reboot of leadership is in motion.
The timing of the shake-up is notable. Trump has recently turned his attention to escalating crises in the Middle East, aggressive posturing from China, and a historic overhaul of the Defense Department’s procurement systems. With key international decisions looming, the President appears eager to streamline his team and bring in fresh blood—ideally without any baggage.
In private, some allies say Trump’s patience has worn thin with bureaucratic missteps and unnecessary distractions. The Signal incident was, in their view, avoidable—and emblematic of an undisciplined chain of command that’s now being swiftly corrected.
While no public comment has been made by the White House or by Waltz himself, expectations are growing that an announcement will be made within days. If confirmed, the departure would mark one of the first major ousters of Trump’s second term.
Waltz, who previously represented Florida’s 6th Congressional District and served in the Pentagon during the Bush administration, was widely viewed as a rising star in GOP national security circles. But in a Trump-led White House, even rising stars are expendable when trust is broken.
The coming days will reveal whether the President opts for a bold replacement or a quiet shuffle. Either way, the Trump administration is signaling that competence, discipline, and loyalty will be non-negotiable in the next chapter of national security policy.
