(CNN) — National security adviser Mike Waltz is expected to depart from the Trump administration in the coming days, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN, the first major staff shakeup since the president took office in January.
Waltz’s job has been in limbo after it was made clear to him earlier this week that his time leading the National Security Council had come to an end, according to a source familiar with the matter. Alex Wong, the deputy national security adviser, and other national security advisers are also expected to depart, per multiple sources familiar with conversations, though timing is unclear.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and friend of President Donald Trump, is under consideration to replace Waltz as national security adviser, that person said, though no decision has been made. Witkoff has led discussions with Russia and Iran as Trump looks for international deals.
Waltz had been on shaky ground – having lost most of his influence in the West Wing – after he inadvertently added a journalist to a messaging app group chat about highly sensitive military strikes.
Trump had considered firing him after the incident, but declined to do so because he didn’t want to provide his enemies a perceived victory, and he hoped to avoid the type of chaos that colored his first administration.
But while Trump stood by him at the time, Waltz’s standing hadn’t ever really recovered, according to four sources, and he lost clout with top aides inside the West Wing. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has privately been one of the officials most unimpressed with Waltz — even before the Signal fiasco.
At 100 days into his second term, Trump no longer appears as concerned about the appearance of disorder. Multiple people familiar with the matter have increasingly described Waltz’s potential ouster as a matter of “when, not if.”
His influence internally had been waning for weeks, illustrated best by Trump’s decision to dismiss several staffers from the National Security Council at the urging of far-right activist Laura Loomer, who told him they were disloyal.
Waltz boarded Marine One with Trump on Tuesday, but when his colleagues boarded Air Force One about 10 minutes later, he instead remained on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. One White House official said he was never slated to travel with the president to Michigan, but the move was viewed as odd by other aides inside the administration.
Asked about the impact of Waltz’s dismissal, multiple foreign officials — including some from the Middle East — expressed apprehension about who would replace him. Many said the impact would all depend on who follows as national security adviser, and several said his ouster was expected.
“Of all of them, we never thought he would be the first [to be fired],” said a senior western official.
Behind the scenes, some administration officials had begun quietly discussing an off-ramp for Waltz over the last several days. Trump has expressed frustration with him on multiple fronts, including the Signal episode. He was also irritated the Florida congressional race to replace Waltz was closer than expected, two sources familiar with the conversations told CNN.
But on Thursday, one administration official suggested the search for a soft landing spot was no longer a top priority.
“President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago,” this source said.
Alex Marquardt contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
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