Trump reiterates support for National security team amid signal leak
text_fields
Washington: President Donald Trump has made it clear that he won't be firing anyone over the accidental leak of his administration's plans for an airstrike against the Houthis in Yemen.
In an interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Trump stated, "I don't fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts." He also expressed confidence in his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, despite the embarrassing leak.
President Donald Trump's administration was recently left reeling after a major security blunder. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a group chat on the Signal encrypted messaging service. The chat contained sensitive discussions among top officials about plans to attack the Houthis in Yemen, including details from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on how the strike would unfold.
The situation took a turn for the worse when The Atlantic published an article exposing the internal exchange, sending shockwaves through the national security establishment.
Donald Trump is determined to avoid the high turnover rate that plagued his first term, particularly the early departure of his national security adviser, Mike Flynn. Flynn's tenure was cut short after just a few weeks due to the ongoing Russia investigation.
He's also shown resistance to bowing to outside pressure, especially if it comes from the news media.
Asked if there were conversations about firing Waltz, Trump insisted, “I've never heard that. And nobody else makes that decision but me, and I've never heard it."
(inputs from PTI)