On this file photograph from Feb. 14, 2025, Mike Waltz speaks with an official simply outdoors the Oval Workplace the place a replica of President Trump’s mugshot on the entrance web page of the New York Publish is posted.
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President Trump mentioned on Thursday he’s nominating his nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz as his ambassador to the United Nations within the first large shake up of prime aides since Trump began his second time period.
Trump mentioned on social media that he would make Marco Rubio his interim nationwide safety adviser — a task that may come on prime of his current job, Secretary of State.
It is very uncommon for one individual to carry each main roles. Waltz’ new job will depend upon affirmation by the U.S. Senate, the place Republicans narrowly management the bulk — however the place some have expressed considerations after inadvertently invited a journalist into a personal textual content chat discussing navy plans for U.S. strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.
The UN spot has been vacant since Trump requested his first nominee, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to as an alternative keep in Congress to assist protect the slender majority Republicans maintain within the Home of Representatives.
“I am deeply honored to proceed my service to President Trump and our nice nation,” Waltz mentioned on social media.
Nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz stands behind Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth within the Oval Workplace on April 7, 2025.
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Vance says it has nothing to do with the group chat
Trump had initially defended Waltz — who took accountability for the mishap — and downplayed the incident as a “glitch.” He was complimentary of Waltz in his announcement on Thursday, and final week informed The Atlantic in an interview that “Waltz is ok” when requested about his future.
“I believe we discovered, ‘Perhaps do not use Sign, okay?’ If you wish to know the reality. I’d frankly inform these folks to not use Sign, though it has been utilized by lots of people,” Trump mentioned.
Trump has not talked to reporters but about his resolution. However Vice President Vance mentioned in an interview that the change in roles had nothing to do with the group chat incident.
“I do know the president actually likes Mike Waltz. He simply thought that the UN ambassador place could be a greater place for Mike Waltz to be,” Vance informed Fox Information’ Bret Baier.
“The media needs to border this as a firing. Donald Trump has fired lots of people. He does not give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards,” Vance mentioned.
Nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz and his spouse, former homeland safety adviser Julia Nesheiwat, take a selfie as they tour the Pituffik Area Base on March 28, 2025 in Greenland throughout a go to with Vice President Vance.
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Trump has leaned on different officers for nationwide safety points
Throughout his first 100 days in workplace, Trump has leaned extra closely on different prime aides for nationwide safety points just like the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and talks with Iran, together with Center East envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in addition to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Waltz was the primary Inexperienced Beret elected to Congress the place he served three phrases representing east central Florida within the Home of Representatives.
Waltz, who was often called a nationwide safety hawk, had an uphill street to climb inside Trump’s circle. He had lengthy been an advocate of sanctions in opposition to Russia and by no means appeared to completely align with Trump’s method to Moscow and different adversaries.
Vance denied that the change in place was an indication of philosophical divisions inside Trump’s group. “I’ve already seen some people saying that this can be a conflict between the hawks and the anti-hawks, new conservatives vs. MAGA or the realists — that is not what that is about in any respect,” Vance mentioned.
Earlier than taking the White Home job, Waltz served as chairman of the Home Armed Companies subcommittee on readiness and was a member of the Home International Affairs Committee and the Everlasting Choose Committee on Intelligence.
It is uncommon for the Secretary of State to do that job on the identical time
Trump’s announcement got here after hours of rumors that Waltz was leaving his place — and whereas Rubio’s spokeswoman Tammy Bruce was briefing reporters on the State Division. “We have now to confess, these final 100 days — it is like hanging on to a freaking bullet practice,” Bruce informed reporters.
The final individual to concurrently be Secretary of State and nationwide safety adviser was Henry Kissinger, through the Nixon period. He did each jobs for 2 years.
“Some Individuals in Washington and elsewhere thought the double task gave Kissinger an excessive amount of energy and persuaded President Ford to strip him of his White Home title in late 1975,” presidential historian Michael Beschloss mentioned.
In Rubio’s case, Trump has indicated this will probably be a short lived task till he picks a brand new nationwide safety adviser.
Trump has been recognized to present folks he trusts a number of positions on the identical time. In his first time period, his price range director Mick Mulvaney was additionally answerable for the Shopper Monetary Safety Bureau, famous Katie Dunn Tenpas, an knowledgeable on presidential personnel on the Brookings Establishment.
“it is extremely unconventional, nevertheless it’s commonplace for the Trump administration. And I watched it through the first time period — and I watched it with a substantial amount of awe as a result of I had not seen it in prior administrations,” Tenpas mentioned.
NPR diplomatic correspondent Michele Kelemen contributed to this report.
