Mike Waltz, who served as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, was abruptly dismissed from his role in early May 2025. His ouster was primarily linked to a scandal involving a Signal messaging app group chat that he created, where senior officials discussed sensitive military plans, including strikes in Yemen. The group chat mistakenly included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who later published excerpts, raising serious concerns about security and protocol breaches. Waltz accepted full responsibility for the incident
. In addition to the Signal scandal, Waltz's hawkish stance on Iran reportedly conflicted with the administration's diplomatic approach, further straining his relationship with President Trump. Sources indicated that Waltz's aggressive policy views made Trump uneasy, contributing to the decision to remove him
. Following his dismissal as national security adviser, Trump nominated Waltz to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations as a form of consolation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was appointed as interim national security adviser
. Waltz's downfall also reflected a broader pattern in American politics where former elected officials struggle to adjust to subordinate roles within the executive branch, sometimes leading to conflicts with presidential authority
. In summary, Mike Waltz was removed from his national security adviser position due to the Signal messaging scandal and policy disagreements, and was subsequently nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the UN