Democrats Say Trump Fired the Wrong Man in National Security Shake-Up

Before President Trump publicly announced that he was replacing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and nominating him as UN ambassador, Democrats on Capitol Hill were already reacting—and many believed the president had targeted the wrong person.

Their concern? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, not Waltz, should have been held accountable following a controversial Signal group chat that involved highly sensitive military details.

“I think they’re holding the wrong guy accountable,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). While Kelly acknowledged that Waltz’s accidental inclusion of journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the chat was a serious misstep, he pointed to something even more alarming: Hegseth reportedly discussed bomb targets in Yemen over Signal, potentially putting American pilots in danger. “That’s what really disturbed me,” Kelly added.

Inside the White House, however, Trump viewed the incident very differently. According to people familiar with his thinking, the president never got past the question of how Waltz, a top security official, mistakenly invited a prominent journalist into a classified conversation. While Trump also disapproved of Hegseth’s judgment in sharing operational details, he wasn’t willing to dismiss him—especially after the administration had invested significant political effort to get him confirmed.

Hegseth also enjoys broader support among the MAGA base and Trump-aligned media, unlike Waltz, who had always faced skepticism from the movement’s more hardline members. In practical terms, removing Waltz was easier too—it didn’t require Senate confirmation, unlike any replacement for Hegseth.

Still, Hegseth hasn’t escaped unscathed. According to insiders, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently told him and Pentagon officials there was “no room for more mistakes or embarrassments,” signaling internal dissatisfaction.

Behind the scenes, officials had been discussing Waltz’s departure for several days. Trump’s frustrations had built up—not only over the Signal incident, but also over a surprisingly competitive Florida congressional race to replace Waltz, which the president reportedly found irritating, according to sources.

“President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago,” one insider said.

There were also signs of Waltz’s changing status within the administration. On Tuesday, Waltz boarded Marine One with Trump. But when it came time to transfer to Air Force One for a trip to Michigan, Waltz remained on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews—an unusual move that raised eyebrows among staff. A White House official claimed he was never scheduled to join the trip, but others saw it as a subtle sign of his looming departure.

News of Waltz’s dismissal also raised concerns abroad. Several foreign officials, including some from the Middle East, privately expressed unease over the shake-up and uncertainty about who would be taking over such a key role.

“Of all of them, we never thought he would be the first [to go],” a senior Western official said.

This News Originally appeared on www.edition.cnn.com