Leaked: Trump's decision to fire national security adviser

Axios wrote about this: Trump's close associates told the news website that the US president had seriously sought to fire Mike Waltz due to the humiliating leak of the Signal chat, but Trump kept his cool and put the issue aside, partly because he refused to satisfy his critics.

Axios added: Trump had seriously considered firing the national security adviser due to the Signal chat leak, but ultimately decided not to do so. Waltz is said to be safe for now, but he has had disagreements with several other senior officials.

Trump administration officials have reported that the president is more upset that Mike Waltz had saved the number of Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, on his phone than he is about the sensitive details of the military strike. Waltz’s poor explanation in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News made matters worse, drawing more attention and criticism. The incident has heightened tensions within the administration.

Trump administration officials have reported that the president seriously considered firing Waltz as national security adviser over the Signal leak, but decided against it so the media wouldn’t exploit the issue. “We all know we shouldn’t give the public what they want,” a senior White House official said on the first day of the crisis. The approach reflects the Trump administration’s strategy to control public perception of domestic issues and challenges.

The Politico also reported that following the revelations about the Signal chat, US Vice President J.D. Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, along with a number of senior White House officials, advised Trump to fire Waltz in secret meetings.

The American media described Waltz's accidental membership of a journalist in the Signal chat as a great embarrassment for the White House and, citing officials familiar with the internal discussions, wrote: White House officials suggested that Trump fire him.

The officials said that Trump agreed that Waltz's actions were outrageous, but he ultimately decided to hold off on firing him for now for one reason only. According to Trump, firing Waltz could have led to a victory for the liberal media and Democrats.