The Senate on Friday confirmed former Florida congressman and Army Green Beret Mike Waltz as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, filling a critical diplomatic post just days before the annual United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York.
Waltz’s confirmation came by a 47–43 vote, ending months of delay in the Senate. While most Democrats opposed his nomination, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) expressed support, citing his qualifications and experience. One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), broke with his party to vote against him, referencing positions Waltz had taken in the House related to U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.
The appointment allows Waltz to represent the United States during next week’s high-level session of the UN General Assembly, where leaders from 193 member states will gather for intensive diplomacy on pressing global issues, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s campaign against Hamas.
During his July confirmation hearing, Waltz delivered a sweeping critique of the United Nations, arguing the body had become bloated and inefficient. He noted that UN revenues had quadrupled in the past two decades without producing a comparable increase in peace and stability, and emphasized U.S. taxpayers shouldering a disproportionate share of the costs. He observed how American contributions reached $13 billion in the last fiscal year, while some member states contributed minimal amounts.
Waltz pledged to press for reforms, including reducing overlapping agencies, setting clear mandates and cost limits on peacekeeping missions, and backing the Secretary General’s plan to cut staff by 20 percent. He drew from his military service in Africa and the Middle East to illustrate how aid often failed to reach those in need due to bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Another central theme of his testimony was China’s role within the UN. Waltz challenged the favorable status China enjoys as a “developing nation,” despite being the world’s second-largest economy, and warned of Beijing’s growing influence across international standard-setting bodies. He vowed to work closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to counter what he depicted as an erosion of fair competition and accountability in the system.
Waltz also focused on what he described as the UN’s “systematic bias” against Israel. He drew attention to figures showing the General Assembly passed more than twice as many resolutions against Israel as against all other countries combined between 2015 and 2023. He targeted UNRWA, saying it employed Hamas-linked staff and taught antisemitic material, and called for its dismantlement.”
Supporters of his nomination pointed to his record of service, which includes time as a Green Beret colonel, policy director to two Defense Secretaries, and three terms in Congress. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) hailed him during the hearing as “one of the most well-qualified nominees” for the role in U.S. history. Other Republicans praised his focus on reform, with Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Jim Risch (R-ID) highlighting his pragmatism and commitment to defending American taxpayers.
Waltz, invoking Ronald Reagan’s view of the UN as a forum that could either solve problems or spread discord, told senators he intended to “make the UN great again” by restoring its focus on peacekeeping and ensuring American sovereignty and interests remain at the forefront.
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