In classic Trumpian style, President Donald Trump shut down speculation over Mike Waltz’s departure from the role of national security adviser this weekend, forcefully rejecting media claims that Waltz was ousted in the wake of the so-called “Signalgate” scandal.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump characterized the move not as a demotion or dismissal—but as a promotion.
“There was no resignation,” Trump said bluntly. “You people are so bad. You’re trying to make a big deal out of something that’s not.” The president’s tone was unmistakably irritated, his message calibrated: Waltz wasn’t removed—he was elevated.
Waltz, a former Green Beret and Florida congressman, was swept into the White House in Trump’s second term as a hard-edged national security voice. But when The Atlantic published a bombshell report that outlined how a Signal group chat involving top officials—allegedly discussing sensitive plans for strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen—had been accessed due to a breach linked to Waltz’s iPhone, speculation soared.
Waltz accepted responsibility, calling it a “misstep,” but insisted no classified information was disclosed. Trump agreed.
“I didn’t lose confidence in him,” the president said flatly when pressed. “He’s going to the United Nations — to me, I think it’s — personally, if I had to choose for myself … I’d rather have that job than the other.”
On May 1, Trump made the unexpected announcement that Waltz would be nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose nomination had quietly unraveled.
Unlike the national security adviser post, Waltz’s new role will require Senate confirmation, and Democrats are already signaling an intense vetting process is on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the White House must now find Waltz’s replacement. Trump suggested that a formal pick could come within six months, and when asked about the possibility of Stephen Miller stepping into the role, the president grinned: “He’s at the top of the totem pole… indirectly, already has that job.”