WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Nelson Wong, are stepping down from their roles in the Trump White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Their departure, expected Thursday, marks the most significant shakeup in President Donald Trump’s second-term national security team.

The White House has not commented publicly on the changes, but journalist Mark Halperin first reported the planned exits. Sources told the AP that Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is holding discussions with members of the National Security Council (NSC) staff about the transition.

Waltz, a former Florida congressman, became the administration’s principal adviser on national security issues after serving in Trump’s first term in various defense-related capacities. His tenure, however, has been marred by controversy, particularly over a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which mistakenly included a journalist and exposed sensitive military planning.

In March, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, reported that he had been inadvertently added to a Signal chat initiated by Waltz. The chat included senior officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The conversation reportedly revealed discussions about a planned U.S. military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen, including timing and weapons systems. Goldberg initially withheld operational specifics, but later published them after senior officials stated no classified information had been shared.

Waltz privately confirmed the reporting’s authenticity, sources told the AP. The incident sparked internal debate over whether he should resign, but Trump chose to keep him in place at the time. Publicly, the president defended Waltz, calling him “a good man” who had “learned a lesson.” Trump also blamed the mishap on imperfect technology, saying Waltz was “doing his best.”

Despite bipartisan calls for an investigation, including from some Republicans, the administration downplayed the breach, asserting that no classified material had been compromised. Intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director Ratcliffe, supported that assessment.

According to one official familiar with the matter, the White House is now positioning Waltz and Wong’s exits as part of a broader reorganization of the NSC. “The president feels enough time has passed since the Signal incident,” the source said, adding that Trump has remained wary of appearing to bow to external pressure.

Wong, a foreign policy veteran who served in the first Trump administration as deputy special representative for North Korea, also held a senior role at the State Department during Trump’s initial term. He was praised by the president in 2020 for helping negotiate Trump’s historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The departures come as the Trump administration faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of national security operations and internal communications protocols. Waltz, the first major official to exit the administration since Trump began his second term, had increasingly become a target of criticism from lawmakers concerned about operational security.

The BBC reported that Wong had also been removed in what appears to be a house-cleaning effort by Trump’s inner circle. While no immediate replacements have been announced, national security insiders expect the administration to move quickly to install new leadership ahead of expected geopolitical developments in the Middle East and Asia.

As of Wednesday, neither the White House nor the NSC has responded to repeated media inquiries about the staffing changes.