Waltz has yet to comment on The Atlantic’s claims he added an editor to a group chat that top Trump administration officials used to discuss war plans.
Topline
President Donald Trump defended National Security Advisor Mike Waltz after revelations he added an Atlantic editor to a group chat about military war plans—amid reports of White House debate over whether Waltz should be fired over the incident widely characterized as a stunning display of recklessness and incompetence.Key Facts
Trump told NBC Tuesday Waltz “has learned a lesson,” calling him “a good man” and blaming a Waltz staffer for adding the magazine editor to the chat, though it’s unclear whether the network asked Trump if Waltz should be fired.
Trump’s comments come after the Wall Street Journal reported Trump is “frustrated” and “directing his ire at Waltz,” citing unnamed administration officials, including one who said Trump asked aides Monday “how Waltz could be so sloppy.”
Politico also reported that White House officials are discussing Waltz’s future in the Trump administration, including whether he should resign voluntarily to avoid Trump having to fire him, with a person close to the White House telling the outlet “everyone in the White House can agree on one thing: Mike Waltz is a f—-ing idiot.”
Waltz added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a chat on the Signal messaging app earlier this month among top administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump aide Stephen Miller, in which they discussed the U.S. military’s plans to attack the Yemen-based rebel group, the Houthis, according to Goldberg’s account.
