Trump urged to fire Waltz after Signal chat blunder
Politico reports that Vice President J.D. Vance and advisors are urging Trump to dismiss Michael Waltz after a mishap on Signal.
What do you need to know?
- Vice President J.D. Vance and senior advisors have recommended that Donald Trump fire Michael Waltz following the accidental inclusion of a journalist in a Signal chat.
- A meeting at the White House took place on Wednesday evening, where the embarrassment related to the disclosure of attack plans in Yemen was discussed.
- Trump has not decided to fire Waltz yet, but sources suggest it might happen within a few weeks.
Why do Vance and the advisors want Waltz fired?
Vice President J.D. Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles urged Donald Trump to dismiss Michael Waltz. The reason was the embarrassment caused by the accidental inclusion of a journalist in a Signal chat, where plans for an attack on Houthi militants in Yemen were discussed. Advisors emphasized that adding a journalist to the chat is a serious embarrassment for the White House, as cited by the portal Politico.
Will Trump decide to fire Waltz?
Although Donald Trump agreed with the advisors that Waltz made a mistake, he chose not to dismiss him immediately. They will keep him for now but may remove him in a few weeks, said a source from Politico. The decision to retain Waltz for the time being is intended to avoid giving the liberal press a "victory."
How did the mishap on Signal happen?
Signal, a popular messaging app, was the platform where high-ranking U.S. officials, including Vance and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, discussed plans for an attack on Houthi militants in Yemen. By accident, the editor-in-chief of "The Atlantic," Jeffrey Goldberg, was invited to the chat and gained access to detailed attack plans two hours before execution. Michael Waltz later admitted in a TV interview that he takes full responsibility for the incident.
