THE mystery surrounding the future role of national security advisor Michael Waltz has been solved amid rumors about his imminent axing.
Donald Trump was on the verge of dismissing him due to his Signal chat mishap. Steve Witkoff was being considered as a potential successor.
Waltz, 51, and his deputy Alex Wong were both expected to leave the White House, CBS News and other media outlets revealed today.
Fox News reported that Trump, 78, was expected to comment on his removal shortly.
According to Politico, five individuals knowledgeable about the matter disclosed that Trump was preparing to remove Waltz because he no longer had the support of his colleagues in the administration.
But Trump has now revealed that Waltz has been handed a new role.
In a post on Truth Social, the president declared, “I am excited to reveal that I intend to put forth Mike Waltz as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations.”
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first.
“I know he will do the same in his new role.
“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.
“Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The dramatic departure comes after the former Republican lawmaker faced criticism when he was caught up in the March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides.
Waltz is a Trump loyalist who served in the National Guard as a colonel.
The three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida was the first Green Beret elected to the U.S. House.
Before his promotion to national security adviser, he was chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness.
Waltz was also a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
TIMELINE
Scandal erupted in March when it emerged that a reporter was mistakenly added to a messaging group in which senior officials discussed attack plans on the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.
It later emerged that Waltz appeared to have mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a chat that included 18 senior administration officials discussing planning for the strike.
But Trump told NBC News that the lapse “turned out not to be a serious one.”
The president expressed his continued support for Waltz in March.
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump said.
