Waltz was in danger before Signalgate

Yahoo

01-05-2025

Signalgate may have been the tipping point for national security adviser Mike Waltz, but his downfall began before he accidentally added a journalist to a private chat about a U.S. attack on Yemen.
From the early days, senior administration officials were irked by his approach – seeing him as too cocky. 'He's a staff, but he was acting like a principal,' one person close to the White House who was granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics said. National security advisers, while powerful, support presidents but do not run an agency like Cabinet secretaries.
In the wake of the Signal chat scandal in late March, outsiders called for his immediate firing over the apparent security breach, but some White House insiders speculated that the bad headlines would paradoxically buy Waltz time.
Trump views the media, including Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg, as the enemy, and did not want to look like he was reacting to coverage of Goldberg's inclusion in the Signal chat by firing someone involved in the scandal.
'Waltz has been on thin ice for a while. This made the ice thinner but at the same time…may actually save him for now because they don't want to give Goldberg a scalp,' one White House ally said at the time.
But he had lost enough allies that his eventual departure was all but certain — the only question was when he'd go.
Trump announced on Truth Social Thursday that he is tapping Waltz to be his ambassador to the United Nations.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R -NY) was nominated for the role, but was asked to withdraw because of Republicans' thin margins in the House.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was also taking heat for his role in disclosing attack plans on Signal. But he had more White House support than Waltz, and was harder to fire because replacing him would require Senate confirmation. National security advisers do not require confirmation, making them more expendable to Trump.
'I know that Pete has a lot more friends in the West Wing than Mike has, ' said another person familiar with the dynamics.
Waltz' relationship with fellow Floridian Susie Wiles had eroded, at least in part due to his 'too big for his britches' attitude, one of the allies said. He did have backers on Capitol Hill, with some GOP lawmakers relieved by Waltz's presence in the room. He was seen as a serious person with real credentials for the role, and more sympathetic to traditional defense hawks. But even as many old-school Republicans supported him, MAGA warriors were skeptical. Many viewed him as an outsider to their movement.
Even from his first days in office, Waltz struggled to fill key NSC roles with Republican foreign policy experts viewed as more traditional defense hawks. Waltz's choices for the person to be NSC senior director for African Affairs, for example, were blocked three times in a row by other White House officials want wanted more full-throated MAGA acolytes to staff the NSC.
"The view was 'Wait why is he picking secret neocons for these jobs, that's not how this administration is going to work,'' said one person close to both Waltz and Wong, Waltz's deputy. 'Which is bullshit, but that was the view and that set the stage for vibes of distrust and tension," This person was granted anonymity to discuss internal White House matters candidly.
Right wing activist Laura Loomer took relish in suggesting that she helped oust some of his staffers. The New York Times reported Loomer brought a list of names to Trump, deeming members of the NSC staff insufficiently loyal. A number of them were fired shortly after that meeting.
On Thursday, minutes after Waltz's removal was disclosed by POLITICO and other outlets, she sent POLITICO a one-word text: 'Loomered.'
After three months of relative restraint, Trump may be ready to fire others.
A planned wave of White House firings may come as early as late next week, two administration officials familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said.
Inside the West Wing, aides have started referring to the potential shakeup as 'The Purge,' one administration official said. The plan, according to the official, is to carry out the firings in a single, decisive wave rather than to do it piecemeal.
'The president is surrounded by highly talented and qualified patriots working to execute his agenda,' a White House official said, responding to a request for comment. 'Mike Waltz will continue these efforts, and Secretary Rubio will excel in this new role.
While Trump's second term has so far avoided the backstabbing and high churn that defined his first term, the planned shakeup – likely beginning with mid-level White House staffers – would signal a dramatic shift shortly after the 100-day mark.
'A lot' of firings are about to happen, the second official said.
Jake Traylor contributed reporting.