On May 1, Mike Waltz, the U.S. national security advisor under President Donald Trump, stepped down from his position. The move follows continued backlash to the Signalgate scandal in March. His deputy, Alex Wong, also stepped down. The resignations came after it was revealed that Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat that discussed highly sensitive military information. President Trump announced that he is nominating Waltz to a new role at U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
These messages concerned the Trump administration’s plans to respond to Houthi rebel attacks in Yemen. This incident led to disclosure of confidential information to a journalist outside of the government, resulting in widespread outrage over the mishandling of classified information.
The leak of sensitive information — though unintentional — became a major source of controversy and debate about accountability within the administration. Security experts and lawmakers expressed concern that allowing a journalist to access private discussions about U.S. military plans could potentially compromise nations safety. While no direct harm appears to have been caused, this event shows how vulnerable digital communication can be, even among top government officials.
In 2024, then President-elect Trump announced Waltz’s appointment as National Security Adviser for his second administration. His role was marked by strong support for the “America First” foreign policy strategy, and he often spoke about the need to confront threats from China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups worldwide.
The situation has drawn attention due to the nature of Waltz’s role as National Security Advisor — a position centered around protecting the country and managing sensitive information. His accidental inclusion of a journalist in a confidential Signal chat revealed a serious error in digital security.
At first, the Atlantic journalist did not write about the operational details. However, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe denied that any classified information was shared, Goldberg published that information too. White House officials have discussed whether Waltz should leave after he acknowledged that the reports from the journalist were accurate. Waltz took full responsibility for the mistake, saying, “I built the group,” and “It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
