President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0has 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.<\/p>\n Trump, 78, took to\u00a0Truth Social<\/a>\u00a0on 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.”<\/p>\n “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\u2019s Interests first,” Trump continued. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n Waltz’s new appointment came as a surprise after outlets including\u00a0Politico<\/a>,\u00a0The New York Times<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0CBS News<\/a>\u00a0warned that he would be booted from the White House as early as Thursday.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0The Atlantic<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.<\/p>\n In screenshots of the group chat published by\u00a0The Atlantic<\/em><\/a>, top Trump officials planned a bombing of Houthi rebels in Yemen. Defense Secretary\u00a0Pete Hegseth<\/a>\u00a0was shown in screenshots sharing a \u201cTEAM UPDATE\u201d about the planned attacks before they took place.<\/p>\n Waltz has been chosen as the ambassador to the U.N. after GOP Congresswoman\u00a0Elise Stefanik<\/a>\u00a0withdrew her nomination at the request of Trump in order to maintain Republicans’ narrow House majority.<\/p>\n Trump wrote in a March 27\u00a0Truth Social<\/a>\u00a0post that he asked Stefanik to keep her House seat to help “advance” Republicans’ “America First Agenda.”<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n He added, “With a very tight Majority, I don\u2019t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Stefanik became the second Trump Cabinet pick to have their nomination withdrawn after former Florida Rep.\u00a0Matt Gaetz<\/a>\u00a0pulled himself from consideration<\/a>\u00a0for attorney general in November 2024.<\/p>\n![\"US](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/BONSZqTvnUj2FLDBzmP0NtMJSeo=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)\/marco-rubio-confirmation-hearing-011525-1ca81d9a09cc42a3812682a8651d966f.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/J2CB7NHq0pq8tghbZysKFUE43AU=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(689x415:691x417):format(webp)\/mike-waltz-pete-hegseth-032625-1-28ba71e2b8a646b38a5b80352a21c76f.jpg\")
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<\/div>\n<\/div>President Donald Trump and newly appointed U.N. ambassador Mike Waltz.<\/span>Credit :\u00a0<\/span>Kevin Dietsch\/Getty; John Nacion\/Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\nSen. Marco Rubio at his Jan. 15 confirmation hearing to become Secretary of State.<\/span>ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS\/AFP via Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\nMike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at an Oval Office meeting on Feb. 24, 2025.<\/span>LUDOVIC MARIN\/AFP via Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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