Trump nominates Mike Waltz as UN Ambassador

President Donald Trump announced that he will nominate Mike Waltz to serve as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations, following reports that Waltz was stepping down as National Security Advisor.

“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,” Trump said in a social media post on Thursday. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”

Trump also announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim National Security Advisor, “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department,” he added.

The White House did not specify when Waltz is expected to appear before the Senate for confirmation. If confirmed, he would succeed Dorothy Shea, who has been serving as Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations since January 20, following the end of Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s tenure.

President Trump had initially nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik for the post, but the nomination was withdrawn in late March.

The transition comes after a high-profile controversy referred to as “Signal Gate,” in which Waltz acknowledged that a private Signal messaging group he created for national security coordination inadvertently included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

In a Fox News interview last month, Waltz said, “I take full responsibility. I built the [Signal] group… A mistake was made, but we’re moving forward.”

The chat reportedly included top U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Vice President J.D. Vance. According to Goldberg, the group discussed details of planned U.S. military operations against the Houthis in Yemen, including strike timing and targeting information.

Although the administration has not confirmed that Waltz’s reassignment is related to the messaging incident, the move comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the handling of sensitive communications.