Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) suggested there is a “huge difference” between Mike Waltz‘s new role and his previous one as national security adviser.
President Donald Trump recently nominated Waltz to serve as U.N. ambassador after moving him out of the national security adviser role. While Vice President JD Vance referred to the change as a “promotion,” Himes appeared on Fox News Sunday to disagree.
“What I can tell you is there’s a huge difference between the national security adviser, whose office is literally steps away from the Oval Office, and the U.N. ambassador who is in New York. This is not an administration that puts a lot of stock in the United Nations,” Himes said. “No matter what, I think that Mike Waltz is going to be marginalized right now.”
Meanwhile, Waltz’s previous role as national security adviser will now be filled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is already acting administrator of USAID and acting archivist of the United States on top of his role as secretary of state.
Himes expressed concern over the amount of work and responsibility all of these roles demand.
“What worries me about Marco Rubio’s role now is that secretary of state and national security adviser, both of those jobs are too big for one person. To have both of those jobs, including a bunch of other jobs, on the shoulders of Marco Rubio, these are people who actually need sleep if we are to stay out of wars and stuff,” Himes said. “So I’m a little worried about the no national security adviser idea.”
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The last person to hold both roles was the late Henry Kissinger. He served under former President Richard Nixon.
Trump recently retracted Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) nomination as U.N. ambassador to keep the slim majority in the House of Representatives.