Who is Mike Waltz in the Trump administration?

Mike Waltz, whose role as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor may end soon, is currently facing a major controversy due to a serious breach of security protocols, inviting the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic to a group chat in which sensitive military information was discussed.

Waltz’s career includes military service, political roles, and work in the defense industry. He is a former Green Beret and has served in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, completing multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and earning four Bronze Stars. After his military career, he transitioned into politics, serving three full terms as a Republican representative from Florida. During his six years in Congress, he was part of important committees related to Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence, where he gained a lot of insight into national security issues.

His financial disclosure report shows he has strong connections to the defense industry. Throughout his time in Congress, Waltz received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from defense contractors, with eight of his top twenty contributors being defense-related companies, which collectively donated around $292,000. This financial backing continued into the 2024 election cycle from groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and major defense companies like General Atomics and Boeing.

After his political career, Waltz founded a defense and intelligence consulting firm called Metis Solutions, which he sold to Pacific Architects and Engineers for somewhere between $5.5 million and $26 million. This sale further tied him to the defense sector financially. His financial disclosure reports from 2024 revealed that he had assets worth between $4 million and $9 million and liabilities ranging from over $1 million to nearly $2.2 million. He continues to work in the defense consulting industry as a managing member of Warrior Diplomat LLC.

His views

Waltz’s views on foreign affairs lean towards a strong military posture. He has consistently pushed for aggressive action, especially against China, Russia, and drug cartels from Mexico. He supported a boycott of the Winter Olympics in China, criticized the decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan, and proposed legislation allowing military action against Mexican cartels. He has also been a supporter of strengthening relations with India, leading bipartisan groups, and engaging in high-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, Waltz’s time as national security advisor has been tainted by a significant incident where a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included in a sensitive Signal group chat. This chat, known as the “Houthi PC small group,” included high-ranking national security officials who were discussing plans for a military strike in Yemen. Goldberg’s inclusion allowed him to see classified information, including the operational details of the planned strikes, just two hours before they occurred.

This accidental leak has raised serious questions about national security and possible legal consequences. Using Signal, which is not an approved application for sharing classified information, clearly violated established protocols. Even if unintentional, discussing operational details with a journalist constitutes a significant security breach that could jeopardize U.S. military personnel.

The worst part is that the messages were sent to automatically delete, meaning they were essentially erasing what should have been federal records. Any correspondence through messages about official acts must be kept, and causing them to be deleted is likely a violation of federal record-keeping laws.

The White House confirmed the message chain was genuine and has begun a review, but hasn’t provided further comments. There is pressure on Waltz to take accountability, which could potentially lead to his resignation. Politico has reported that some members of Congress have criticized the use of unsecured networks for transmitting sensitive information and suggested investigations are in progress.

Waltz doesn’t seem to be in the best position. It’s up to the president and the rest of his cabinet to decide what happens, but there is sure to be a response soon.