Deputy national security adviser Alex Wong ousted amid MAGA pressure campaign

Alex Wong, the principal deputy national security adviser under Mike Waltz, was removed from his post on May 1 amid the fallout from the “Signalgate” scandal, which exposed sensitive military plans through an unsecured messaging app. His exit comes alongside the removal of Waltz, who has since been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In March, Waltz inadvertently added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing a planned U.S. strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Wong, who had helped organize the virtual group for real-time coordination, was subsequently tasked with assembling a “tiger team” — an emergency task force — to mitigate damage and assess exposure.

Despite the swift internal response, the leak sparked bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill about the Trump administration’s use of personal messaging platforms to discuss classified military operations. Security officials criticized the lack of formal vetting and encryption safeguards.

The dismissal of Wong, a prominent China hawk and Taiwan supporter, also followed escalating pressure from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has publicly and privately campaigned for the removal of National Security Council staff she deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.

Suggesting a “China link” was the reason the scandal went public, Loomer targeted Wong specifically by negatively highlighting his wife’s Chinese heritage and reviving discredited claims about his family’s background and past business dealings with China. While many of her assertions were unsupported by evidence, they gained traction within Trump’s MAGA-aligned inner circle.

The removals of Waltz and Wong represent the most significant reshuffle in Trump’s national security leadership since the start of his current term. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed interim national security adviser as the administration evaluates permanent replacements.

While some reports suggest that the dismissals were due to the mishandling of classified information and internal tensions, the White House has not provided an official explanation.