The Blubber

U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is stepping down from his position in the Trump administration, according to multiple media outlets.

Waltz, who served as the president’s top adviser on national security matters, has faced a turbulent period in the role, particularly following allegations that senior officials relied on unsecured messaging platforms for sensitive communications.

Controversy intensified last month when Waltz admitted responsibility for a Signal group chat where top officials discussed plans for military action in Yemen — with a journalist mistakenly included in the conversation.

Reports also indicate that Waltz’s deputy, Alex Nelson Wong, has been dismissed, signaling what appears to be a broader reorganization within the national security leadership.

Waltz, a former congressman from Florida, is the first prominent figure to exit the administration during Trump’s second term.

The BBC has reached out to the White House for an official response.

In March, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, disclosed that he had been unintentionally added to a Signal group chat in which senior administration figures — including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — were discussing operational details of a potential strike in Yemen.

Goldberg identified Waltz as the one who mistakenly added him to the conversation, a move Waltz later acknowledged.

At the time, President Trump and intelligence officials attempted to minimize the incident, asserting that no classified information had been compromised.

Trump publicly defended Waltz, stating he was “doing his best” under imperfect technological conditions. However, the incident drew bipartisan concern, with both Democratic and some Republican lawmakers calling for a formal inquiry into what they viewed as a serious security lapse.