Trump Dismisses Waltz Over Military Secrets Leak... Nominates Him as UN Ambassador

"Rubio to Serve Concurrently as National Security Advisor"

U.S. President Donald Trump has effectively dismissed White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who sparked controversy by accidentally leaking military secrets to the media. This is the first dismissal of a senior official since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

Reuters Yonhap News

On May 1 (local time), President Trump announced on his self-created social networking service, Truth Social, "I am nominating Mike Waltz as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN)."

Instead of immediately naming Waltz’s successor, President Trump assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio to concurrently serve as National Security Advisor for the time being.

He stated, "Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as Acting National Security Advisor while continuing to provide strong leadership at the State Department," adding, "Together, we will relentlessly fight to make America and the world safe again."

On the morning of the same day, U.S. media outlets collectively reported that Waltz would resign, and President Trump officially confirmed this in the afternoon. Although Waltz is being reassigned as UN Ambassador, it is widely regarded as a de facto dismissal. This marks the first replacement of a high-ranking official in Trump’s second administration.

Waltz, who led the Trump administration’s foreign and security policy, was previously embroiled in the so-called "Signal-gate" controversy. Waltz shared classified military information regarding airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels via "Signal," a messenger app commonly used by the public. In the process, he accidentally invited a journalist to the group chat, leaking confidential information to the outside in real time.

Initially, President Trump expressed confidence in Waltz. However, after the Signal-gate incident, Waltz lost influence within the White House and failed to regain the trust of his staff, ultimately leading to his replacement.

President Trump said, "During his time serving on the battlefield, in Congress, and as National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has always put the national interest first and worked with dedication. I am confident he will bring the same commitment to his new role."

Potential candidates to succeed Waltz include Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for the Middle East; Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy; and Sebastian Gorka, Deputy National Security Advisor at the National Security Council (NSC).