First Culling from Signal Leak: Mike Waltz, Top NSC Staffers Out in Trump’s National Security Purge
The fallout from the now-infamous Signal group chat leak has begun and the first heads have officially rolled. In a dramatic shake-up at the National Security Council, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, have been fired, Fox News confirmed Thursday. Sources close to the administration say more dismissals are likely as former President Donald Trump, now over 100 days into his second term, tightens his grip on the inner workings of his national security team.
This is the first major culling stemming from the March Signal incident that saw a journalist accidentally added to a highly sensitive group chat where top national security officials were reportedly discussing military operations in Yemen.
Mike Waltz
The Signal Leak That Triggered the Fallout
The scandal erupted in March after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, published a bombshell firsthand account revealing that he had been mistakenly added to a Signal chat used by senior U.S. security officials. Among the participants: Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The group was reportedly discussing imminent strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen information that, while not classified, was highly sensitive and never intended for the press.
Waltz publicly took the blame. “I take full responsibility,” he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “I built the group. It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Despite initial White House attempts to downplay the incident insisting no classified material had been shared the embarrassment was already baked in. Trump had previously brushed off the leak, saying he trusted his team and maintained the case was “closed.” But now, Waltz and Wong’s firing suggest that behind the scenes, trust has eroded and consequences are being enforced.
Related: Signal Chat Leak: What This Means for the Trump Officials Involved
Related: Signal's Shocking Security Breach: When Top-Secret Meets Top-Tap
Pete Hegseth
A Shake-Up in the Security Ranks
Wong, who was detailed in the Atlantic’s original reporting as the key staffer organizing a “tiger team” in response to developments in Yemen, is also out. He had been tasked with coordinating inter-agency follow-up after a Situation Room meeting. The group chat message “My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team…” was cited as an example of how closely the chat tracked real-time national security planning.
The fallout has prompted criticism from both sides of the aisle. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, speaking after news broke, said: “The National Security Advisor Waltz is out. He’s the first. He certainly won’t be the last.”
Indeed, sources suggest more NSC staffers are on the chopping block. Trump himself warned weeks ago that firings were coming, telling the press from Air Force One: “Always, we’re going to let go of people we don’t like, or people we don’t think can do the job, or people who may have loyalties to somebody else.”
Hakeem Jeffries
From Embarrassment to Enforcement
Waltz’s exit marks a shift from the administration’s earlier defensive stance to one of active damage control. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had initially waved off reports of firings as speculation, saying the White House wouldn’t comment on “anonymous sources.” But now, with names confirmed and firings underway, the administration seems eager to demonstrate a hardline approach to internal discipline and control over sensitive operations.
While Waltz's military credentials and experience as a former Green Beret made him a seemingly strong fit for the role, the Signal chat debacle was a political liability Trump could not ignore for long not in an election year, not amid renewed global tensions, and certainly not with a press that now had direct, inadvertent access to strategic conversations.
The Beginning, Not the End
As Trump consolidates control over his second-term administration, especially in national security circles, the Signal chat leak is proving to be a line in the sand. Waltz may be the first high-profile casualty, but all signs point to more purges ahead. The message is clear: in this administration, even proximity to embarrassment is grounds for removal loyalty and discipline are non-negotiable.
And for anyone who doubted Trump would clean house after a national security misstep, the answer has now arrived loud and clear, with pink slips in hand.
