Waltz is leaving his national security role after facing significant scrutiny for accidentally adding a journalist to a Signal group chat that senior Cabinet officials used to discuss impending military operations.

Cabinet leaders debated the merits of launching a new military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. Unbeknownst to Waltz and the rest of the group, Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was in the group chat.

The controversy represented a significant security lapse that could have affected the mission had the reporter not waited about a week to report on the chat’s contents. 

“I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation,” Waltz said in a social media post.

The ambassadorship is a Senate-confirmed position, which means Waltz will have a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senators on the committee will almost certainly ask Waltz about the Signal debacle, which will likely lead to renewed scrutiny on the subject and potentially on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who shared operational details in that chat.

“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. The stunning amount of turnover of senior staff at both the National Security Council and at the Pentagon is alarming,” ranking member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-CT), who is on the committee, highlighted a secondary Signal issue that emerged on Thursday, where Waltz could be seen looking at the app during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

“I look forward to a thorough confirmation hearing,” he posted.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) expressed confidence that Waltz will face minimal hurdles in a chamber the party controls 53-47.

“I think most Republicans in the Senate know Mike and like him and have confidence in him,” Cornyn told the Washington Examiner. “Obviously, the president still has confidence in him in order to put him in this key role.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was caught off guard by the news when he was informed by reporters on Thursday. 

“Poor Elise Stefanik,” Hawley said. “Unless there’s something I’m really missing here, I think [Waltz] would be perfectly fine.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be Trump’s acting national security adviser. The news that Rubio was assuming another position, albeit temporarily, appeared to catch the State Department’s spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, off guard during her press briefing.

Trump’s social media announcement caps a day of speculation that the president was planning to push Waltz out of his administration altogether. Trump did not mention Waltz during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden earlier Thursday, while he singled out other Cabinet members. 

Conservative investigative journalist Laura Loomer met with the president in the Oval Office in early April and accused several officials working in the NSC of being insufficiently loyal to Trump’s agenda. Shortly after that meeting, Trump fired multiple NSC officials and the National Security Agency director, Gen. Tim Haugh. She has also been critical of Waltz and Alex Wong, Waltz’s deputy, who was also reportedly ousted on Thursday.

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Loomer celebrated their removal from the NSC on social media.

Trump withdrew Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) nomination to the U.N. in March because of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) slim majority in the chamber. Ironically, the slim majority became even tighter when Waltz vacated his Florida congressional seat when he was appointed to the national security position.