President Trump has named national security adviser Mike Waltz as his ambassador to the United Nations, following reports of his dismissal amid a controversy over a group text chat.
On Thursday, Trump also announced that his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, would replace Waltz as national security adviser on an interim basis.
“I am pleased to announce that I will nominate Mike Waltz as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations. Mike Waltz has worked tirelessly to prioritize our nation’s interests throughout his military service, time in Congress, and as my National Security Advisor. “I know he will do the same in his new position,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump added, “In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor while maintaining his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will fight tirelessly to make America and the world safe again. Thank you for paying attention to this matter!”
Waltz’s departure from the National Security Council and subsequent appointment as ambassador, which will require Senate confirmation, marks the first significant shift in positions in Trump’s second administration.
The position of ambassador to the United Nations is open after President Trump yanked Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) nominations last month, citing a desire for the congresswoman to “rejoin the House Leadership Team.”
Meanwhile, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce described Rubio’s expanded role as a “exciting moment” for the department, adding that it was not unexpected.
“As I know Secretary Rubio, this is a man who has worn several hats since day one,” she informed me. “Someone well known to the President. The president makes perfect assessments of who will implement his agenda, and in this case, he has chosen the secretary and Mr. Waltz to help his agenda move forward. Not exactly surprising.”
Waltz’s shift in stance comes after he was at the center of a controversy over a group chat on the Signal app in which national security and defense officials shared key details about a military strike in Yemen. Waltz is said to have accidentally invited Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, to the chat.
Goldberg revealed in a March 24 report that he was added to the message chain, which the National Security Council confirmed as genuine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailed the strikes on Houthi rebels in Signal, which both the White House and Hegseth claim were not classified.
At the time, there were questions about whether Waltz or Hegseth would be fired as a result of the situation, but Trump defended Waltz, a former Florida congressman, saying he trusts his top adviser.
Furthermore, six National Security Council officials were fired earlier this month after Laura Loomer, a political activist linked to far-right conspiracies, met with Trump and reportedly presented him with a list of untrustworthy national security officials.
Among those fired from the council were Brian Walsh, senior director of intelligence; Thomas Boodry, senior director of legislative affairs and former aide to Waltz in the House; and David Feith, senior director of technology and national security.
Trump denied that Loomer had anything to do with the firings, saying she “makes recommendations on things and people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations.”
State Senator Randy Fine (R) won the special election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District earlier this month, replacing Waltz in Congress. Fine’s victory came as a relief to Republicans, who had grown concerned about the race after Democrat Josh Weil outperformed Fine in fundraising and some polling.
