Mike Walz Moves to UN Role

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was relieved of his current role and will become ambassador to the United Nations, according to a social media post by President Donald Trump yesterday. The decision comes after fallout from a leak of military plans in a Signal group chat. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will fill the role on an interim basis.

Waltz is the first senior leader in Trump’s second administration to exit his role. As national security adviser, Waltz was tasked with providing the president with direct, cross-departmental reports on national security and producing the president’s daily brief (see 101). The White House had reportedly considered firing Waltz for weeks due to his role in the leak, in which the three-term former Florida congressman unintentionally invited Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg into a group chat discussing imminent military plans in March (see previous write-up). 

Several other national security officials were fired in recent weeks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces ongoing scrutiny for his participation in the chat.