President Donald Trump‘s national security adviser Mike Waltz is under fire after it was reported that his list of friends on Venmo was public until Wednesday afternoon.
Wired reported on Wednesday that an account with the name “Michael Waltz”—bearing a profile picture with Waltz in it—included a public 328-person friend list. Members on the list ranged from journalists to colleagues in the Trump administration, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and National Security Council staffer Walker Barrett.
The White House declined to comment to Wired, but the magazine reported that the accounts appearing to belong to Waltz and Wiles went private after the magazine’s inquiry.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News on Wednesday night that Trump “absolutely” has confidence in his national security team, including Waltz.
Why It Matters
Waltz is already embattled after The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg reported on Monday that Waltz appeared to have added him to a Signal chat that included 18 senior Trump administration officials discussing planning for a strike against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Trump administration offered shifting explanations for how Goldberg was added to the chat. But during an interview Tuesday night with Fox News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle, Waltz said he built the Signal group chat and that he takes “full responsibility.”
While the stunning security lapse sparked alarm and calls for an investigation, the Trump administration has downplayed it and insisted that no classified information was posted to the chat. The Atlantic on Wednesday released the entire Signal chat, showing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop.
Meanwhile, German outlet Der Spiegel also reported on Wednesday that it had found phone numbers, email addresses and in some cases, passwords, belonging to Waltz, Hegseth and director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
What To Know
None of the Venmo transactions for the accounts listed for Waltz, Wiles or Barrett were publicly visible, according to Wired. But all three had apparently not opted out of allowing their friends list from being visible to the public.
Waltz’s list of friends—published in full by The American Prospect—included a number of journalists and media personalities including Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade and Bret Baier and CNN‘s Brianna Keilar and Kristen Holmes.
Conspiracy theorist Ivan Raiklin, who has called himself the “secretary of retribution” and keeps a list of Trump’s “deep state” enemies, was also one of Waltz’s Venmo friends.
According to Wired, there were also a number of accounts appearing to belong to “ordinary people” including doctors, real estate agents and a tailor. Experts told the magazine that these are the kinds of low-level connections, or “soft targets,” who could reveal information or a way in for spies.
Political commentator Brian Krassentein called it “yet another reckless security lapse,” while Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch, suggested the number of journalists in Waltz’s Venmo friends list could prompt Trump’s ire.
What People Are Saying
Political commentator Brian Krassentein wrote on X: “Mike Waltz—the guy who let Jeffrey Goldberg into the Signal chat—also had his Venmo contacts set to public. When the press reached out, he deleted them immediately. Here’s the list before he wiped it. These are people Waltz had saved in his phone. Yet another reckless security lapse.”
Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch, wrote on X: “Trump will consider this far worse than any security breach. Because this is borderline treason in Dear Leader’s world. Waltz is now officially in trouble.”
Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, wrote on X: “I genuinely do not understand how anyone in politics can be stupid enough to have their Venmo public after the Matt Gaetz debacle but somehow his former House colleague who is now national security adviser did.”
President Donald Trump defended Waltz on Tuesday, telling reporters: “He’s a very good man and he will continue to do a good job.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’s Jesse Watters on Wednesday night: “President Trump absolutely has full confidence in his national security team, Jesse. That includes our great national security adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary Pete Hegseth. And the American people should be grateful to these individuals and especially to President Trump for putting together such a competent and highly qualified team who are killing terrorists that the Biden administration allowed to run wild in the Middle East.”
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, wrote on X on Wednesday: “Mike Waltz is a friend, a special forces combat veteran, and a recipient of 4 Bronze Stars. I’m glad to see President Trump stand by his National Security Advisor.”
What’s Next
It remains to be seen whether Waltz will face consequences for leaving his list of friends on Venmo public.
The post Mike Waltz Under Fire After Leaving Venmo List Public: What To Know appeared first on Newsweek.
