Trump President Removes Mike Waltz From White House National Security Adviser

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz from the post of National Security Adviser on Thursday, appointing Foreign Minister Marco Rubio as a substitute, in the first major reshuffle of President Trump's circle since he took office in January.

Foreign Minister Rubio will be the first person since Henry Kissinger in the 1970s to hold the post of foreign minister and national security adviser simultaneously.

"When I have a problem, I contact Marco. He will finish it," President Trump said at a event at the White House on Thursday.

In a post on President Trump's social media statement, he will nominate Waltz to be the next US Ambassador to the United Nations, adding "He has worked hard to put the interests of our nation first."

Previously, several sources said President Trump had decided to remove Waltz from his national security office.

The retired US Army Green Beret and former Republican lawmaker from Florida have faced criticism within the White House, particularly after being involved in the March scandal involving Signal chats among President Trump's national security assistants.

Someone familiar with the matter said President Trump wanted to reach his 100th day of office before sacking a cabinet-level official.

National Security Adviser is a strong role that does not require Senate confirmation. President Trump has four national security advisers in his first term: Michael Flynn, HR McMaster, John Bolton and Robert O'Brien.

Waltz's deputy, Alex Wong, an Asian expert who was a State Department official focused on North Korea during President Trump's first term, was also forced out of office, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Waltz's dismissal ended a month of personnel chaos within Trump's national security agency. Since April 1, at least 20 United States National Security Council (NSC) staff have been sacked, directors of the National Security Agency have been dismissed and three top officials of the politically appointed Pentagon have been sacked.

The cleaning has seriously undermined morals in several areas of national security agencies, according to some officials inside or close to government. Some elements of the government lack relevant national security expertise and in some cases it has proven difficult to attract high-level talent, officials added.

NSC is the main body used by the president to coordinate security strategies, and its staff often make important decisions about America's approach to the most volatile conflict in the world.

Waltz was blamed for accidentally adding the editor of The Atlantic magazine to a private thread explaining the details of the upcoming US bombing campaign in Yemen. The Atlantic then reported internal discussions about the attack.

At the next Cabinet meeting with Waltz in the room, President Trump expressed his preference for holding such conversations in a safe place, a clear sign of his disapproval. However, he and others at the White House publicly expressed their trust in Waltz at the time.

On the other hand, President Trump has so far expressed his trust in Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, despite chaos at the top of the Pentagon and his involvement in the Signal controversy.

Signal controversy isn't the only sign that harms Waltz in the eyes of President Trump, a source said.

A person familiar with Cabinet's internal dynamics said Waltz was too aggressive for antiwar President Trump and was deemed ineffective in coordinating foreign policy among various institutions, an important role of national security advisers.