U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks on the day U.S. President Donald Trump meets with U.S. ambassadors at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke up Tuesday during a group meeting with President Donald Trump, where reporters were allowed to ask questions. He blamed the recent scandal involving a Signal chat among Cabinet officials on the reporter who was invited into the group by one of those officials.
A bombshell report in The Atlantic revealed that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared classified war plans in a Signal chat that included a reporter among its membership. The Signal chat included top officials in President Donald Trump's Cabinet who discussed classified military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
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"I think there's a lot of — the lessons — there's a lot of journalists in this city who have made big names for themselves, making up lies about this president," said Waltz.
"Whether it's the Russia hoax or making up lies about Gold Star families," Waltz continued. "And this one in particular, I've never met, don't know, never communicated with. And we are, uh, and we are looking into and reviewing how the heck he got into this [chat] room. But I'll tell you what. The world owes President Trump a favor. Under [President Joe] Biden, global shipping was shut down. Pinprick attacks, months between them, our destroyers being fired upon dozens of times."
Waltz went on to champion Trump's "decisive action" and claimed that American allies are grateful for Trump's leadership.
"As [CIA Director John] Ratcliffe testified today, his first day on the job, he was introduced to this app on his government systems at the CIA and at the State Department and otherwise," said Waltz. "So, look, this journalist, Mr. President, wants the world talking about more hoaxes and this kind of nonsense rather than the freedom that you're enabling. And a key part of our sovereignty is open sea lanes and knocking the crap out of terrorists, which is exactly what your team and [Secretary of Defense] Pete Hegseth, a good friend and fellow veteran, is leading the charge on."
Trump also attacked the reporter, telling reporters: "The person that was on just happens to be a sleazebag, so maybe that's just coincidence. I don't know ... he's basically bad for the country."
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