U.S. Political Media Politico Predicts Decision Within Two Days
President Trump Weighs Response to Advisor Waltz
Democratic Lawmakers and Former Officials Voice Strong Criticism
Following Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealing the 'leak of U.S. war secrets,' there are speculations that Michael Waltz, U.S. White House National Security Advisor who involved Goldberg in the problematic chat, may be dismissed.
On the 24th (local time), U.S. political media outlet Politico reported that although no official decision has been made regarding Waltz's position, White House officials believe President Donald Trump will make a final judgment within a day or two after observing media coverage of the incident.
A senior administration official who requested anonymity said that regarding how to handle Waltz, several text messages were exchanged with other administration staff, and "half of them say Waltz will not survive in his position, or should not survive." He added, "Not verifying who was in the chat was careless. Having such conversations on 'Signal' was also imprudent," emphasizing, "A National Security Advisor cannot be that reckless."
Two senior White House aides reportedly expressed the view that Waltz should resign to prevent President Trump from being placed in an awkward position. When asked about the matter at Hyundai Motor Group’s investment announcement event in the U.S., President Trump replied, "I don’t know anything about that." He also referred to The Atlantic as a "magazine that will soon fail" and said, "I don’t consider it a magazine."
Earlier, The Atlantic’s editor Goldberg revealed that before the U.S. military airstruck Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the U.S. diplomatic and security team discussed war plans in a general messenger space, during which he was 'accidentally' included in the group chat. Goldberg stated that the chat contained information about weapon packages, targets, timing, and more.
Goldberg explained to U.S. public radio NPR and other media that Waltz mistakenly added him to the commercial messenger app 'Signal,' and as a result, he received the 'war plan' from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at 11:44 a.m. Eastern Time on the 15th, about two hours before the actual airstrike.
Among lawmakers and former senior officials, controversy over security negligence continued. John Bolton, former White House National Security Advisor who served President Donald Trump during his first term, said in an interview with CNN that he was "speechless" upon hearing about the incident. He added, "No one could have imagined using 'Signal,'" and warned, "If you think Signal is a secure communication channel with enhanced security measures for the U.S. government, think again."
Within the Democratic Party, calls for accountability over the leak of classified information and the necessity of a hearing were raised. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged a Senate-level response, stating, "If a government employee leaked information about such sensitive military operations, they must be investigated and properly punished."
Senator Jack Reed (Democrat?Rhode Island), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the incident as "one of the most serious security breaches witnessed so far." He added, "Military operations involving the lives of U.S. troops must be handled with utmost caution and conducted through secure communication channels," pointing out, "The carelessness shown by the Trump administration is astonishing." Representative Pat Ryan (Democrat?New York), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, declared, "If the Republicans do not immediately hold a hearing on this matter, I will hold one myself."
Meanwhile, Waltz, a former Green Beret special forces member, served as a U.S. Representative (Florida) and was part of the China Task Force. He is classified as a China hawk, having introduced legislation to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals and to protect U.S. universities and academia from Chinese espionage activities. He has also advocated for a tough stance on Iran.
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