Secretary of State Marco Rubio will now serve as the interim national security adviser after White House clashes and a public group chat scandal reportedly led to Waltz’s ouster
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President Donald Trump has nominated former national security adviser Mike Waltz to now serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The move comes just hours after news broke that Waltz would be stripped of his White House post amid internal clashes and public criticism.
Trump, 78, took to Truth Social on Thursday, May 1, to reveal that Waltz, 51, will shift to a more distant role rather than leaving the administration entirely, writing, “I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations.”
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” Trump continued. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
The president also shared that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.”
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Waltz’s new appointment came as a surprise after outlets including Politico, The New York Times and CBS News warned that he would be booted from the White House as early as Thursday.
Waltz, whose foreign policy views allegedly clashed with MAGA hardliners, had been on thin ice after creating a private group chat on Signal with top administration officials and accidentally adding The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
In screenshots of the group chat published by The Atlantic, top Trump officials planned a bombing of Houthi rebels in Yemen. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was shown in screenshots sharing a “TEAM UPDATE” about the planned attacks before they took place.
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Waltz has been chosen as the ambassador to the U.N. after GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik withdrew her nomination at the request of Trump in order to maintain Republicans’ narrow House majority.
Trump wrote in a March 27 Truth Social post that he asked Stefanik to keep her House seat to help “advance” Republicans’ “America First Agenda.”
“I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.
He added, “With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations.”
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Stefanik became the second Trump Cabinet pick to have their nomination withdrawn after former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz pulled himself from consideration for attorney general in November 2024.
Gaetz withdrew amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sex trafficking, sexual misconduct with minors and illicit drug use.
