President Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate his national security adviser Mike Waltz to become the next United States ambassador to the United Nations.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put out Nation’s Interests first,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
Waltz is leaving his national security role after facing significant scrutiny for accidentally adding a journalist to a Signal group chat that senior cabinet officials used to discuss impending military operations.
Cabinet leaders debated the merits of launching a new military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. Unbeknownst to Waltz, and the rest of the group, Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was in the group chat.
The controversy represented a significant security lapse that could have impacted the mission had the reporter not waited about a week to report on the content of the chat.
The ambassadorship is a senate confirmed position, which means Waltz will have a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He will likely face uncomfortable questions over the Signal episode.
“Mike Waltz’s abrupt dismissal is further proof of the chaos and incompetence that has reigned over President Trump’s White House and national security team during his first 100 days in office. The stunning amount of turnover of senior staff at both the National Security Council and at the Pentagon is alarming,” Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be Trump’s acting national security adviser.
Trump’s social media announcement caps a day of speculation that the president was planning to push Waltz out of his administration altogether. Trump notably did not mention Waltz during an National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden earlier Thursday, while he singled out other members of his cabinet.
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Trump withdrew Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) nomination in March because of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) slim majority in the chamber. The slim majority was made even tighter, ironically, partially thanks Waltz vacating his Florida congressional seat when he was appointed to the national security position.