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President Donald Trump has dismissed National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and several other National Security Council (NSC) staffers following a leak of a Signal chat. The leak involved discussions of military plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Waltz, a former Florida congressman and Green Beret, admitted responsibility for inadvertently adding a journalist to the chat, which included top officials like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser. He also said that he will nominate Waltz to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
The leak, first reported by Fox News, led to internal discussions about Waltz's future, with some officials suggesting he should resign to avoid putting President Trump in a difficult position. Despite the controversy, Trump initially defended Waltz, emphasizing the success of recent actions against the Houthis. However, the president ultimately decided to remove Waltz and others from the NSC, stating that the administration would let go of those who were not aligned with its goals.
According to Politico, the incident has sparked debate within the White House about the handling of sensitive information.
The White House has stated that measures are being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the case is considered closed, and the administration is moving forward with its national security agenda.