Trump Fires Mike Waltz, Names Marco Rubio National Security Adviser

Trump Ousts National Security Adviser Waltz, Appoints Rubio as Interim Replacement

President Donald Trump dismissed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday, appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his temporary replacement in the first major shakeup of his inner circle since taking office in January.

In a social media post, Trump announced Waltz’s nomination as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, stating, “He has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first.”

Sources confirmed earlier Thursday that Trump had decided to remove Waltz, a retired Army Green Beret and former Florida Republican lawmaker, from his national security role. Waltz faced criticism within the White House, particularly after a March scandal involving a leaked Signal chat among top Trump national security aides.

Rubio becomes the first person since Henry Kissinger in the 1970s to simultaneously hold the roles of secretary of state and national security adviser.

“Marco solves problems. I call him, and it’s done,” Trump said at a White House event on Thursday.

A source familiar with the decision said Trump waited until after the 100-day mark of his term to dismiss a cabinet-level official. The abrupt announcement caught State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce off guard, learning of it during a press briefing.

The national security adviser role, which does not require Senate confirmation, is highly influential. Trump had four advisers in this position during his first term: Michael Flynn, H.R. McMaster, John Bolton, and Robert O’Brien.

Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, an Asia expert and former State Department official, is also being removed, according to two sources.

The move follows a month of upheaval in Trump’s national security team. Since April 1, at least 20 National Security Council (NSC) staffers have been fired, the National Security Agency director was dismissed, and three senior Pentagon political appointees were let go.

These purges have damaged morale within parts of the national security establishment, with officials noting a shortage of expertise and challenges in recruiting top talent. The NSC, critical for coordinating security strategy, plays a key role in shaping U.S. policy on global conflicts.

Waltz faced scrutiny for accidentally including an Atlantic magazine editor in a private Signal thread discussing a U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen, which the outlet later reported. At a cabinet meeting, Trump voiced frustration, emphasizing the need for secure communications, though he publicly supported Waltz at the time.

Trump has maintained confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite Pentagon turmoil and Hegseth’s involvement in the Signal controversy.

A Reuters photograph from Wednesday’s televised cabinet meeting showed Waltz using Signal on his phone, displaying chats with cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance and Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard. White House communications director Steven Cheung defended the app’s use, stating, “Signal is approved for government phones.”

The NSC has seen significant turnover recently. A month ago, right-wing activist Laura Loomer provided Trump with a list of NSC staff she deemed disloyal, leading to the firing of four senior directors overseeing intelligence, technology, international organizations, and legislative affairs. These dismissals puzzled colleagues, as the directors had conservative credentials and no apparent conflicts with Trump.

Since then, over 20 additional NSC staffers have been abruptly let go, sources said. Some staffers criticized Waltz for not defending his team more robustly.

Waltz’s hawkish stance clashed with Trump’s war-averse views, and he was seen as struggling to coordinate foreign policy across agencies, a core responsibility of the national security adviser, according to a source familiar with cabinet dynamics.

Waltz’s removal may concern U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, who viewed him as a supporter of alliances like NATO, counterbalancing more adversarial perspectives among Trump’s aides, a foreign diplomat in Washington said anonymously.

The U.N. ambassador role Waltz is nominated for has been vacant since Trump withdrew Representative Elise Stefanik’s nomination, as her vote was needed in the Republican-controlled House.