Signal Chat Leak: Who is Mike Waltz? Trump official linked to secret Yemen strike strategy row

Signal Chat Leak: United States National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz has taken "full responsibility" for a recently leaked Signal group chat of Trump officials that discussed plans for an upcoming strike on the Houthis in Yemen.

"I take full responsibility. I built the group," Waltz told Fox News on "The Ingraham Angle" on Tuesday (US Time). "It's embarrassing. We're going to get to the bottom of it," he said.

Waltz said he does not personally know Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist who was added to the chat.

The leak triggered a storm after Goldberg, the Atlantic's editor-in-chief, wrote a first-person account of getting a connection request from what appeared to be Waltz on March 11 on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging service used by journalists and government officials in United States

Goldberg said he accepted the request and was then added to a chat group called "Houthi PC Small Group," where he proceeded to see a series of top Trump officials discuss what turned out to be an upcoming attack on the Houthis.

Many have called this leak a massive breach of national security even as US President Donald Trump has denied claims that classified information was shared in a Signal group. In fact, President Trump stood by Waltz and said that he does not need to apologise.

“He’s a very good man, and he will continue to do a good job,” Trump said, amid calls for an apology by Waltz.

Who is Mike Waltz? The Political Career

In November last year, Trump picked Michael Waltz, as his national security adviser. At that time, Trump called Walz "a nationally recognised leader in national security" and an "expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism."

Waltz succeeded Jake Sullivan as national security adviser, is a three-term Republican from St Augustine Beach, Florida, representing the Daytona Beach area in Congress since 2019.

Waltz is a known China hawk and was the first Green Beret elected to Congress. During the presidential campaign, Waltz proved to be a key surrogate for Trump, criticising the Biden-Harris foreign policy record.

Waltz has been a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees in the House and a prominent voice on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the military and its academies, Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

Earlier, Waltz also served as defence policy director in the Pentagon under Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates in the George Bush Administration. He also worked in the White House as counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, USA Today reported.

A Military Veteran, deployed in Middle East

Waltz is a 27-year veteran of the US Army and National Guard, according to US news media. After he graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, he was commissioned into the Army as a lieutenant, became a Green Beret, part of the Army Special Forces and was deployed several times to combat zones in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. He was awarded four Bronze Stars, two for valour.

Waltz also headed a defence and intelligence contracting firm, Metis Solutions. The firm was, however, sold in 2020, netting Waltz between $5 and $25 million, according to USA Today.