Once the “choice of value” of Mr. Trump, the National Security Advisor Waltz is causing the White House to suffer a lot of criticism for revealing the combat chat group.
The administration of President Donald Trump is facing the largest scandal in the second term, after a journalist accidentally added a chat group on the Signal messaging app by the leading White House officials to discuss the Houthi air strike campaign.
The person who was added in this 18 -member chat group Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor -in -chief Atlantic, a magazine that the White House was very wary. The one who invited Mr. Goldberg to the chat group Mike Waltz, an adviser should be “his right arm” for President Trump on national security.
From officials described by observers as “impressive and valuable choice” of Mr. Trump, Waltz, 51, now faces the risk of leaving the government early because of the pressure from both the criticism and support of the US president.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz at a press conference at the White House on February 20. Image: AP
Waltz was born on January 31, 1974 at Boynton Beach, Florida and raised in the city of Jacksonville and Bang. He received a bachelor’s degree on international research at Virginia Military Academy in 1996.
After graduating, Waltz joined the US Army, becoming a member of the green hat forces. In 2000, Waltz moved to work in the national guards in Florida. He has been in charge of duties in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan, receiving 4 Bronze Medals, including two medals for courage. After 27 years in the army, he retired with the rank of Colonel.
Waltz in 2010 participated in the establishment of Metis Solutions defense and intelligence company. The company was acquired by one party for 2020 for $ 96 million. The deal gives Waltz about US $ 5-25 million, according to the report to the House of Representatives of the same year.
Waltz was the Defense Policy Director at the Pentagon under President George W. Bush, as an anti -terrorism advisor for Vice President Dick Cheney. In 2019, he elected the Senator’s representative of Florida and became the first veteran of the blue beret to be elected to the US House of Representatives.
The slogan on Waltz’s election website is “all I want to do is serve the country”. When winning, Waltz said WKMG-TV That he was “a warrior” like Mr. Trump.
Waltz re -elected three times in 2020, 2022 and 2024, with more than 60% of the vote. He is a member of the House of Representatives on Military, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, with a tough view with China, Russia and Iran.
In early 2020, he was invited to the White House, and republican officials who heard a report on the raid attacks of General Iran Qassim Suleimani in Baghdad, Iraq. At the end of 2020, he was inspired to criticize in his hometown of Florida for supporting a lawsuit to overturn the election results in Mr. Trump’s states losing to Mr. Joe Biden.
Finally, he still voted to confirm the victory for Mr. Biden and condemned the riot at the Capitol hill in January 2021 as “violent acts and despicable threats”.
Waltz often appears on Fox News and other media channels as a commentator. He is the author of three books, including one for children.
Waltz’s wife, Julia Nesheiwat, former army intelligence officer, was a domestic security adviser in the first term of Mr. Trump. The two married in 2021 and had a three -year -old son. Mr. Waltz also has a daughter from the previous marriage.
In November 2024, after being elected, Mr. Trump announced the choice of Waltz as a national security adviser, describing this candidate “recognized nationwide as a leader in national security, the author of best -selling books, experts on threats from China, Russia, Iran and global terrorism.”
“Mike supports my ‘American’ policy agenda and strongly supports the effort to pursue peace with power!”, Mr. Trump wrote. National security advisor is the position that does not need to ratify the US Senate, playing an assistant to the president in all matters related to national security.
Richard Goldberg, former National Security Council officials in the first term of Mr. Trump, described Waltz as an impressive choice, personnel of important value to the president. “Mr. Waltz has an appropriate experience to help the president stamp the flames of burning the world,” Goldberg said AP.
In the new position, Waltz joined the US delegation to the Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Russian and Ukraine representatives, in Trump’s efforts to end Ukraine’s battle.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz at a White House meeting on March 25. Image: AFP
The scandal of the chat group caused Waltz to face a series of calls for investigation and resignation, while the White House was heavily criticized for the management of sensitive combat information. The Republican Party also divided the problem, some suggestions for firing Waltz, others think that this adviser should the second chance.
Mr. Waltz on March 25 took responsibility and pledged to clarify the incident. President Trump on the same day defended his subordinates, declaring that there was no intention of firing Waltz after the mistake because the exchanges on Signal were “not important”.
“Waltz is a very good person. And he will continue to do work well,” Trump said.
But one day later, when the wave of criticism continued to rise and Atlantic magazine posted all the content exchanged in the chat group, Mr. Trump turned to defend the Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, who also joined the chat group, and seemed to turn his back on Waltz.
“I always think that Waltz adviser is responsible for this. As for Minister Hegseth, how can he drag him into it? He has nothing to do with anything,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on March 26.