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Active discussions about the future of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz are underway at the White House following a leak of classified data on US strikes in Yemen, Politico reported, citing sources who said his resignation is an option.
A senior administration official told Politico on Monday afternoon that they are engaged in multiple text threads with other administration staffers about what to do with Waltz, following the bombshell report that the top aide inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a private conversation discussing a military strike on the Houthis.
" Half of them say he will never survive or should not survive," the official said.
Two senior White House aides have suggested that Waltz should resign to prevent the president from being put in a "bad position."
Politico said nothing has been finalized yet and President Donald Trump would ultimately make the decision within a day or two.
"It was reckless not to check who was on the topic. It was reckless to have that conversation on Signal. You can't be reckless as a national security adviser ," the official said.
A person close to the White House was even more direct: "Everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is an idiot."
A third person familiar with the situation said Trump has spoken with Waltz about the issue — and the White House, for now, is standing by him.
" As President Trump has said, the strikes on the Houthis have been very successful and effective. President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz ," White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said in a statement Monday.
A source told Politico that what happens with Waltz depends largely on how Trump personally feels about the issue, and noted the involvement of other administration officials in the Signal conversation as well.
Chairman Mike Johnson told Politico that Waltz "absolutely" should not resign.
" He is extremely qualified for this job. He is trustworthy. He is built for that job and I have complete confidence in him ," Johnson said.
Earlier, CNN journalist Alayna Treene, citing sources, wrote on the social network X that Trump has no plans to fire Waltz. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth denied the leak, stressing that no one had sent any sensitive military information in the conversations.
The story of the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic
Goldberg said in a story he published in the Atlantic that he had received a request to join Signal, an encrypted messaging app, from a “Mike Waltz” on March 11. He then joined a group chat called the “Houthi computer group” with what appeared to be other senior administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Deputy Director of National Intelligence Gabbsi, and Vice President J.D.
For several days, “an interesting policy discussion” took place in the chat, the editor says. According to the editor, on March 15, user “Pete Hegseth” posted a message containing details of planned attacks against the Houthis, including targets, weapons, and the estimated time of the attacks’ start, which, according to Goldberg, coincided with the time of the first messages about the bombing on social media.
Goldberg said Brian Hughes, the National Security Council spokesman, confirmed the authenticity of the Signal group.
" This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are examining how an unintended number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of deep and thoughtful policy coordination among senior officials. The continued success of the Houthi operation indicates that there were no threats to troops or national security ," Hughes wrote.
On March 15, the United States launched heavy airstrikes against the Houthis, who control about a third of Yemen. According to the US Central Command, the operation is aimed at protecting US interests and ensuring freedom of navigation. In response, the Ansar Allah movement launched a series of attacks on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the northern Red Sea, using missiles and drones. There was no information about any damage to the ship as a result of the strikes.
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