Signalgate: Trump's National Security Adviser to Step Down, Nominated as UN Ambassador
In March, Waltz claimed 'full responsibility' for erroneously adding a journalist to a group messaging chat in which senior members of President Donald Trump's administration discussed impending military strikes in Yemen.
Waltz said he didn't personally know The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, adding he wasn't sure how he ended up in the highly sensitive chat on Signal.
At the time, Trump downplayed the lapse which he said 'turned out not to be a serious one' and 'the only glitch in two months,' while expressing his continued support for Waltz.
In his Thursday announcement, Trump did not mention the scandal, instead saying: 'Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation's Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.'
It was not clear yet who would replace the 51-year-old former Republican lawmaker from Florida. One source suggested to Reuters that Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in both the Middle East and the war in Ukraine could be an option.
However, Trump said that: 'In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor.'
What was Signalgate?
Signalgate, for which Waltz was considered the main person responsible, was a major embarrassment for the Trump administration.
It revolved around a chat on the Signal messaging platform that was being used to discuss imminent military strikes in Yemen.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one of the several top Trump administration officials who were in the chat, shared details of the timing of several strikes targeting a member of the Houthi militant group.
The following is a part of the timeline he posted in the group, unaware that a journalist was also present:
'1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)'
'1345: 'Trigger Based' F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME.'
The White House initially attacked Goldberg for publishing several details on the chat, with Trump calling it a 'hoax.' This led the editor-in-chief to publish the full transcript of the chat.
Prior to the this, Waltz had said the chat contained 'no locations,' 'no sources and methods,' and 'no war plans.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
34 minutes ago
- Mint
Why Elon Musk turned against Donald Trump and his ‘One Big Beautiful Bill' - Here are the 5 reasons
Once close allies, now at odds: Elon Musk's once-robust relationship with Donald Trump appears to be crumbling amid growing policy clashes, public criticism, and mounting fallout for Musk's companies. The turning point seems to be Trump's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill,' a sweeping Republican legislative package that Musk claims undermines innovation and economic discipline. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons behind the falling out: Elon Musk's sharp break from Donald Trump finds its most immediate pain point in Tesla's bottom line: the proposed elimination of federal electric vehicle (EV) tax credits. Under current policy, buyers of new EVs are eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, with an additional $4,000 available for used EVs. These credits, part of the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, have been a critical incentive driving EV adoption—and by extension, Tesla's sales. But Trump's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill,' backed by GOP lawmakers, aims to gut those incentives entirely for manufacturers that have already sold over 200,000 qualifying vehicles between 2009 and 2025. Tesla, by far the EV market leader, is directly in the firing line: the company sold over 336,000 vehicles in just Q1 of 2025 alone. According to JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman, the removal of these credits could represent a $1.2 billion headwind for Tesla—a significant blow as the company battles slumping demand, falling profits, and political backlash from Musk's government role. So, Musk became increasingly vocal in criticising Trump's massive federal spending bill—nicknamed the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Musk called the bill 'a disgusting abomination' and accused GOP lawmakers of abandoning fiscal responsibility. 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly… which increases the budget deficit… I don't know if a bill can be big and beautiful,' Musk told CBS previously. Musk's discontent escalated after Trump abruptly withdrew the nomination of private astronuat and his ally Jared Isaacman—as NASA Administrator. Trump cited 'prior associations' in his decision, which Musk might have seen as a betrayal. Isaacman had broad support in the space community and was seen as Musk's pick to align NASA policy with SpaceX's interests. His removal coincided with Musk's own exit as a 'special government employee' running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,' Musk said in support of Isaacman, signaling the depth of his frustration. Elon Musk's foray into federal governance as a 'special government employee' under the Trump administration has left a lasting dent in his personal and public image. What began as a high-profile effort to 'streamline government efficiency' quickly turned into a political and reputational minefield for the billionaire CEO. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk was tasked with cutting what the Trump administration called 'wasteful spending.' But the resulting actions—including mass layoffs in federal departments, rumored threats to Social Security and Medicare programs, and abrupt budget slashes—sparked widespread backlash. Despite Musk's repeated clarifications that DOGE had no authority over entitlement programs, public anger snowballed. 'It's a bit unfair because DOGE became the whipping boy for everything,' Musk told CBS. 'I've had people think DOGE is going to stop them from getting their Social Security check, which is completely untrue.' The political blowback triggered a sharp decline in Musk's public approval. Protests, online campaigns, and lawsuits followed, along with a string of death threats and acts of violence targeting both Musk and Tesla facilities. As public anger grew, Tesla became a target: Showrooms were vandalised Tesla vehicle sales plummeted Shares fell 50% from record highs Net worth dropped by $100 billion Musk lamented being made the scapegoat: 'DOGE became the whipping boy for everything... People thought it would stop their Social Security checks.' His candid remarks reflect a man caught between two identities—visionary entrepreneur and political appointee. 'I don't want to speak up against the administration,' he said, 'but I also don't want to take responsibility for everything this administration is doing.' Musk recently escalated pressure on the FAA to drop Verizon's $2.4 billion contract for air traffic control upgrades, claiming the system is failing. He offered Starlink as an emergency solution, suggesting the FAA should shift the contract to SpaceX. But critics flagged this as a possible conflict of interest—especially since Musk had been advising on federal spending.
India.com
36 minutes ago
- India.com
Turkey's killer drones to shape future wars, make fighter jets obsolete? Baykar CEO claims..., concern for India due to...
Baykar's Kizilelma UCAV is being touted as a game-changer. Kizilelma drone: Advanced military drones will shape the outcome of future wars and eventually make human-piloted fighter jets obsolete, Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkish drone manufacturing giant Baykar Defense, has asserted. In an interview with The Atlantic, Haluk Bayraktar, the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stated that future wars will be completely unmanned and will be fought with advanced military drones. 'Today, there are about 13,000 manned fighter jets in the world. But in the coming years, all these platforms will gradually become unmanned. Even if this replacement is not like a drone from a fighter plane, that is, a fighter jet would be replaced by not one drone, but by deploying 3 to 5 drone platforms. The direction is clear, wars will now be in the hands of machines instead of humans,' Bayraktar said. Turkey emerging as global drone powerhouse Baykar Defense, once a small drones maker, has emerged as one of the world's fastest growing defense manufacturers in recent years, with its battle-tested Bayraktar TB2 drone now recognized as a formidable aerial force after its performance in Syria, Russia-Ukraine war, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. Currently, Baykar Defense is developing Bayraktar TB3 drone, the new and advanced successor to the Bayraktar TB2 killer drone, as well as the AKINCI and the ambitious KIZILELMA drone project. Haluk Bayraktar, who is married to Sümeyye Erdoğan– the daughter of Recep Tayyip Erdogan– asserted that Turkey's defense industry is growing at a rapid pace and his company has the capacity to produce 250 Bayraktar TB2 drones each year. Baykar is also working to build 50 AKINCI UCAVs per year, and work is underway to the double the manufacturing capacity for Bayraktar TB3 and KIZILELMA UCAVs, Haluk said. What is the Kizilelma project and why it could change future warfare? The Kizilelma UCAV is arguably Baykar's most ambitious drone project till date. The Kizilelma, which is being developed by Baykar Defense under Turkey's broader defense program, Project MIUS, is a jet-powered, single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). Designed with advanced AI and autonomous flight capabilities, including autonomous take-off and landing on carriers, station-controlled missions, and even autonomous dogfighting, Kizilelma has semi-stealth capabilities due to a low radar cross-section, and boasts a service ceiling for 13,716 meters (45,000 feet), and an operational altitude of (7,620 meters) 25,000 feet. The Kizilelma UCAV is designed to operate from aircraft carriers, including short-runway carriers, and can carry various types of armaments, including missiles, laser-guided munitions, long-range cruise missiles, with its stated payload capacity of 1.5 tonnes. The UCAV can reach a maximum speed of Mach 0.9, and can Mach 0.6, according to details. Haluk Bayraktar described the Kizilelma as an independent fighter rather than a wingman (support drones that accompany fighter jets), which could replace manned fighters in the near future. Notably, an advanced UCAV like Kizilelma drone costs around $5 million to $10 million, significantly cheaper than a fighter jet, which can run to $100 million- $150 million for a 5th-gen aircraft like the F-35. Additionally, the maintenance costs of UCAVs are much lower than fighter planes, making them an enticing option for countries with lower defence budgets. Why India should be concerned? During the recent India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistani forces launched more than 400 drones, most of them Turkish made towards India, but all of them were successfully shot down by India's layered air defense system. The Pakistani drones included the Turkish Bayraktar TB2s, Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones, Songatri and eYatri loitering munitions, but every single one was shot down with100 percent accuracy by India's homegrown Akashteer air defence system, according to Indian armed forces. However, the drone barrage by Pakistan provided a glimpse of how a future India-Pakistan war would be fought, and experts stress that India must develop an indigenous drone manufacturing industry to prepare for such a scenario.
Economic Times
39 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Chinese 'kill switches' found in equipment at US solar firms trigger national security fears. What are they?
Engineers have discovered 'kill switches' embedded in Chinese-manufactured parts on American solar farms, raising fears Beijing could manipulate supplies or 'physically destroy' grids across the US, UK and Europe. Rogue communication devices found in Chinese solar inverters have triggered fears of national security concerns. But what exactly are kill switches? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What are kill switches? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Chinese "kill switches" that could allow Beijing to cripple power grids and trigger blackouts across the West were found in equipment at US solar farms earlier this month, raising fears that China could manipulate supplies or 'physically destroy' grids across the US, UK and Europe. US energy officials re-assessed the risk posed by small communication devices in power inverters - an integral component of renewable energy systems that connects them to the power to Times, the rogue devices, including cellular radios, were discovered in Chinese-made power inverters that are used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids across the world, including the UK. The hidden communications equipment could be deployed remotely to switch off inverters with potentially catastrophic US experts found rogue communication devices in some solar power inverters not listed in product documents, Reuters reported citing these devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilise power grids, damage energy infrastructure and trigger widespread blackouts. The discovery has sparked concerns that Beijing could potentially disrupt power grids in Western nations, given the heavy reliance of renewable energy systems on Chinese-manufactured solar panels incorporate parts from various countries, including China. However, it remains unclear whether any power converters installed at UK wind or solar farms contain the suspected Chinese "killswitches." kill switch is a mechanism used to shut down or disable a device or program, according to Tech Target. A kill switch is typically used to prevent the theft of equipment or data, or to shut down machinery in emergency situations. The extent to which it restricts, modifies, or halts an action or process depends on the specific system, operation, or software it is designed to switch is a broad term when it comes to the types of technology, software and tools used to create and facilitate it. In manufacturing, for example, a factory might use a kill switch -- also called a big red button -- to shut down machinery if a worker is in danger. Kill switch software, on the other hand, can sometimes include software-encoded kill switches such as anti-piracy radios, acting as kill switches, were discovered embedded in power inverters produced by Chinese manufacturers and supplied to US power inclusion of these remotely controllable devices introduces potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the nation's power infrastructure. Power inverters are essential components in solar and wind farms, converting renewable energy into a form compatible with the national grid. This makes them a critical point of vulnerability. If compromised, these devices could be manipulated—potentially by China—to cause widespread blackouts across the West or even disrupt the entire power grid."We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption," said Mike Rogers, a former director of the US National Security Agency."I think that the Chinese are, in part, hoping that the widespread use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue."Over the last nine months, US experts discovered suspicious devices hidden inside inverters and batteries from several Chinese manufacturers. These specialists carefully dismantle the equipment to identify potential security threats before the products are integrated into power typically have remote access capabilities through cellular networks, and utility companies usually install firewalls to block unauthorized access and prevent communication with China. However, these unauthorized components were not disclosed in the product documentation when the equipment was shipped to the United States.(With inputs from Reuters)
