President Donald Trump is nominating National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take on the responsibilities of national security adviser in the meantime, while also leading the State Department. Trump announced the shakeups in a Truth Social Post Thursday afternoon.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” he added.
Waltz is being nominated for the role that Trump initially tapped House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for. Trump pulled Stefanik’s nomination in late March to protect the fragile House GOP majority.
“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department,” Trump added. “Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN.”
Waltz issued a statement in a post on X.
“I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation,” he wrote.
Trump’s afternoon announcement follows reports in the morning that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were leaving their roles.
Waltz will need to go through a Senate confirmation to become the ambassador.
Scrutiny surrounded Waltz in March after he created a Signal group chat among senior cabinet officials about Houthi strikes which Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg of the left-wing Atlantic was inadvertently added to.
Democrats are likely to seize on “Signalgate” during Waltz’s confirmation process.
Read the full article here