Decryption – The Republican had lost the president’s confidence in the case of the “signalgate”, and would become the first departure of the new administration.
Mike Waltz, national security advisor, should be the first senior administration to leave his post. According to several sources quoted by the American media, Waltz was said to have the end of his duties at the White House. According to the same sources, Steve Witkoff, a real estate promoter and friend of Donald Trump, currently a special sent from the president for negotiations with Russia, Iran and Hamas, would be expected to replace Waltz.
Mike Waltz had been considered during his appointment as one of the few experienced officials to integrate the small circle of Trump advisers responsible for US national security. His military career as an officer in green berets, then as elected to the Congress, where he had defended traditional positions in the Republican Party, had made him suspect to the neo-isolationist wing of the Trump administration, which suspected him of not being entirely acquired to the new precepts Maga in matters of foreign policy.
Waltz lost Trump’s confidence in the “signalgate” case when he had invited a journalist in the Signal group he had created to discuss American strikes against Houthists in Yemen. This first scandal of the new administration had revealed a certain amateurism of the main officials of American security, who sent emoticons to comment on a military operation. Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was notably criticized for having communicated on civil messaging information on bombing.
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But more than by the violation of the Secret-Defense, Trump had been especially furious to discover that his national security advisor had in his contacts the phone number of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the magazine The Atlanticjournalist to whom President nourishes a particular vindicte.
Disgrace of Waltz
Waltz’s embarrassed explanations, who said he did not know Goldberg, and suggested that his number could have been “Aspirated” Involuntarily in his list of contacts on his phone, had not convinced. And especially not the president, who requires above all the absolute loyalty of his close collaborators.
Trump had initially maintained Waltz at his post. But above all to avoid appearing to be giving in to media pressure by dismissing it. During his first mandate, Trump had dismissed his first national security advisor after a month, former General Mike Flynn, after he lied to Vice-President Mike Pence on his contacts with Russia. Trump had since regretted having made this decision. The first Trump administration had been marked by incessant changes to the White House, and four national security advisers, one of the President’s closest collaborators, had succeeded this position.
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The disgrace of Waltz had appeared in recent weeks when Trump had dismissed part of his collaborators without his agreement in the National Security Council, after an far -right activist, Laura Loomer, had denounced them to the president for their lack of loyalty. Trump had taken off for Michigan on Tuesday where he was to give a big speech, leaving his national security advisor on the Tarmac.
Waltz’s assistant Alex Wong should also leave his duties. This other traditional republican was also one of the most experienced members of the National Security Council. This essential link in American defense, which directly advises the president on strategic decisions, risks being singularly helpless in the event of a major crisis. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s personal friend and one of his golf partners, has had his entire real estate career and has little experience in national security or defense issues.