The removal of national security adviser Mike Waltz has plunged President Trump’s White House deeper into internal strife, highlighting the growing rift between America First loyalists and traditional Republican hawks. The shake-up, coming just over 100 days into Trump’s second term, has fueled chaos behind closed doors, with competing factions scrambling for influence over national security policy.
Trump announced Thursday that Waltz would be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily take on the additional role of national security adviser. The decision blindsided many in the West Wing, where tensions had already been mounting over the administration’s direction on foreign policy and military engagement.
Waltz, a former congressman known for his hawkish views, had increasingly clashed with MAGA-aligned figures inside the administration. His critics accused him of failing to fully embrace Trump’s isolationist vision, and his position became untenable following the “SignalGate” scandal in which classified or sensitive military strike discussions were mistakenly shared in a private chat that included a journalist.
His ousting follows weeks of turmoil across the national security apparatus. Multiple senior National Security Council officials were dismissed in March, and the head of the National Security Agency was removed in April. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced a wave of internal dissent and has fired several top aides amid an ongoing leak investigation.
The result is an atmosphere of instability, with career staff and political appointees alike uncertain about the administration’s priorities and leadership. One senior official described the West Wing as “paralyzed by power struggles,” with morale plummeting as Trump continues to reshuffle key positions.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a sharp rebuke of the situation, saying, “Mike Waltz’s abrupt dismissal is further proof of the chaos and incompetence that has reigned over President Trump’s White House and national security team during his first 100 days in office.”
She added that the unprecedented turnover within the National Security Council and Department of Defense was “deeply alarming” and risked undermining national security at a critical time.
Though the ambassadorial role at the U.N. gives Waltz an international platform, it removes him from the daily decision-making loop in Washington. For now, Rubio already stretched thin as the administration’s top diplomat will serve as a stopgap while internal factions continue to jostle for control in a deeply divided and volatile White House.