Trump confirms departure of Waltz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will assume the vacant position on an interim basis. US President Donald Trump has announced that Mike Waltz will exit his role as national security adviser. The president revealed on Thursday that he intends...
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio will assume the vacant position on an interim basis.
US President Donald Trump has announced that Mike Waltz will exit his role as national security adviser. The president revealed on Thursday that he intends to nominate Waltz as the next American ambassador to the UN, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take over Waltz’s responsibilities “in the interim.”
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump stated on Truth Social, commending Waltz’s background as an army veteran, a member of Congress, and national security adviser.
Trump did not provide details on whether Waltz had already stepped down or would be doing so soon. Instead, he mentioned that Rubio would temporarily oversee the role “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.” The president did not indicate any potential candidates for Waltz’s permanent replacement.
Earlier that day, Fox News reported Waltz had been dismissed, though the network did not specify the reasons behind his firing. The report referenced Waltz's involvement in the so-called ‘Signalgate’ scandal from March.
This incident involved an editor from The Atlantic gaining access to an internal conversation among senior Trump administration officials discussing a military action against Yemeni Houthi militants. The media outlet published a story about it, attributing the leak to Waltz, who had inadvertently saved the journalist's contact under an incorrect name and invited him into the chat. Waltz later acknowledged the error in an interview with Fox and accepted “full responsibility” for it.
Later on Thursday, Axios reported, based on White House sources, that Waltz had not yet vacated his role but is anticipated to do so in the near future.
PMG identified Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as a “leading pick” to succeed Waltz. CNN journalist Alayna Treene noted that sources close to Witkoff indicated he is not interested in the role and his team does not expect him to be selected by Trump.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has announced that Mike Waltz will exit his role as national security adviser. The president revealed on Thursday that he intends to nominate Waltz as the next American ambassador to the UN, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take over Waltz’s responsibilities “in the interim.”
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump stated on Truth Social, commending Waltz’s background as an army veteran, a member of Congress, and national security adviser.
Trump did not provide details on whether Waltz had already stepped down or would be doing so soon. Instead, he mentioned that Rubio would temporarily oversee the role “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.” The president did not indicate any potential candidates for Waltz’s permanent replacement.
Earlier that day, Fox News reported Waltz had been dismissed, though the network did not specify the reasons behind his firing. The report referenced Waltz's involvement in the so-called ‘Signalgate’ scandal from March.
This incident involved an editor from The Atlantic gaining access to an internal conversation among senior Trump administration officials discussing a military action against Yemeni Houthi militants. The media outlet published a story about it, attributing the leak to Waltz, who had inadvertently saved the journalist's contact under an incorrect name and invited him into the chat. Waltz later acknowledged the error in an interview with Fox and accepted “full responsibility” for it.
Later on Thursday, Axios reported, based on White House sources, that Waltz had not yet vacated his role but is anticipated to do so in the near future.
PMG identified Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as a “leading pick” to succeed Waltz. CNN journalist Alayna Treene noted that sources close to Witkoff indicated he is not interested in the role and his team does not expect him to be selected by Trump.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
