Trump Says He Will Not Dismiss Anyone Over Signal Incident

The President of the United States told NBC News that he does not intend to dismiss anyone due to the 'Signal' incident; meanwhile, The New York Times reports that calls for the dismissal of Mike Waltz, the White House National Security Advisor, are related to his comments about military action against Iran. An erroneous addition by the editor of The Atlantic to a group chat on the Signal messaging app, where senior U.S. officials discussed attacks against the Houthis, has sparked a wave of reactions. On Saturday, April 9, Donald Trump told NBC News: 'I am not firing anyone because of fake news and a witch hunt.' Mr. Trump told NBC: '[The] fake news, like yourself, always talks about that [the Signal incident]... but we had an incredibly successful attack, and no one wants to talk about it.' In recent days, some American media outlets, including NBC, have reported that requests have been made to Mr. Trump for the dismissal of Mike Waltz. Mr. Waltz has taken responsibility for the Signal incident due to creating a group for senior officials to discuss in this messaging app. Some media outlets, including The New York Times and Politico, reported that Mr. Trump held a meeting on Wednesday evening with his deputy JD Vance and also Suzy Wiles and Sergio Gor, two White House officials, to discuss Mike Waltz's continued presence in the government. According to The New York Times, Donald Trump informed his aides on Friday morning that he wanted Mike Waltz to remain. The White House has not yet reacted to these reports, but the President of the United States has repeatedly stated in recent days that he still trusts his national security team. 'Comments on Iran' The New York Times also reported, citing unnamed sources, that Mr. Waltz was already in a precarious position even before the Signal incident was revealed. According to the newspaper, some of Mr. Trump's close associates criticized Waltz's hawkish views, which 'defended military action against Iran while the President said he preferred to reach an agreement with Iran.' On March 16, Mr. Waltz told NBC that Iran must either abandon all aspects of its nuclear program, including 'missile and enrichment,' or face other consequences such as military action. Waltz: Iran must abandon all nuclear dimensions; all options are on the table. Following that, Steve Whitecap, the U.S. Special Representative for Middle East Affairs, said on April 1 that Mr. Trump 'does not intend to harm Iran' and 'has clearly stated that he prefers an agreement with Iran.' However, Mike Waltz reiterated on April 3 to CBS that the goal of the United States is 'the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program.' The newspaper reported that some of Mr. Trump's close associates had discussed weeks ago whether Mike Waltz was aligned with the President or not. The White House has not yet reacted to The New York Times report, but Caroline Levitt, a White House spokesperson, stated two days ago that Mr. Trump's team discusses among themselves but knows that 'he is the final decision-maker' and 'when he makes a decision, everyone rows in the same direction for its implementation.' The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that despite some concerns about Mike Waltz, 'unlike his first term in office,' Mr. Trump is reluctant to dismiss senior officials in this administration. Donald Trump changed his National Security Advisor several times during his first term, and the dismissals of Michael Flynn and John Bolton made headlines. In recent days, the release of an old video of Mike Waltz making a critical remark about Donald Trump has also added to the criticism against him.