Inside Trump’s rage at ‘silly’ high nationwide safety aide as he battles ’embarrassing’ leaked battle plans texts
President Donald Trump publicly lauded National Security Advisor Mike Waltz as a ‘good man’ who will continue to do a ‘good job’ during an event at the White House on Tuesday.
But behind the scenes, the 47th president wasn’t nearly so generous.
Trump was upset when he found out it was Waltz who had accidentally included The Atlantic’s Editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg on a group text chat where top officials planned an attack on Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
‘The president was p***ed that Waltz could be so stupid,’ a source told Politico.
Trump was said to be particularly furious that Waltz had Goldberg’s number in his phone, as the president has a particular distaste for the journalist.
It was Goldberg who had reported in September 2020 that Trump called fallen American soldiers ‘suckers’ and ‘losers.’
A source also said that Waltz’s relationship has long been strained with the president’s inner circle.
MAGA loyalists already view Waltz skeptically as he previously worked for a prominent ‘neocon’ – former vice president Dick Cheney.
President Donald Trump (left) was angrier at National Security Advisor Michael Waltz (right) then he let on during an event with his ambassador picks at the White House on Tuesday, according to a report from Politico
Another source told Politico the president has found the entire fiasco ’embarrassing.’
Two months and six days into the Trump 2.0 administration and this is the first major scandal involving leaks – an issue that plagued the president’s first term.
In the hours following The Atlantic’s first release of messages on Monday, Waltz appeared most likely to take the fall.
Now, Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s head over some of the information revealed in The Atlantic’s Wednesday release of texts.
Trump vouched for Waltz Tuesday at a White House meeting with ambassadors and said not-perfect technology was to blame.
‘He’s a very good man. That man is a very good man right there that you criticize so strongly,’ Trump said. ‘He’s a very good man and he will continue to do a good job.’
The president also said in an interview with NBC that it was one of Waltz’s aides who inadvertently added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief to the war-planning group chat.
During the ambassadors’ meeting, Trump said Waltz didn’t need to apologize.
‘No, I don’t think he should apologize. I think he’s doing his best. It’s equipment and technology that’s not perfect, and probably he won’t be using it again, at least not in the near future,’ Trump said.
When it was Waltz’s turn to speak he denied knowing Goldberg.
‘There’s a lot of journalists in this city who have made big names for themselves making up lies about this president, whether it’s the Russia hoax or making up lies about Gold Star families,’ Waltz told the room.
‘And this one in particular, I’ve never met, don’t know, never communicated with,’ he claimed. ‘And we are, and we are looking into him, reviewing how the heck he got into this room.’
Goldberg had written in the piece that he had met Waltz, a former Florida congressman, in the past.
‘I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists – and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically,’ Goldberg wrote in The Atlantic.
It remains unclear how Waltz, or an aide acting on his orders, would have had Goldberg’s phone number if they weren’t acquainted.
Waltz said: ‘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 Pete Hegseth, a good friend and fellow veteran, is leading the charge on.’
