President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to reassign former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, nominating him to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations just hours after his exit from the White House national security post.
The sudden reshuffle follows an internal controversy in which Waltz mistakenly added a journalist to a secure Signal group chat discussing classified military operations in Yemen. The security lapse, informally dubbed “Signalgate,” raised immediate concerns about operational protocols.
Despite the incident, Trump publicly praised Waltz’s commitment to national service, citing his experience in the military, Congress, and within the administration. The nomination to the UN post will now proceed to the Senate for confirmation.
In the meantime, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been tapped to serve as acting National Security Adviser while retaining his current cabinet role. The decision echoes a historic precedent, with Rubio becoming the first top diplomat to simultaneously oversee both roles since the 1970s.
The White House has yet to announce a permanent replacement for the National Security Adviser position. Insiders point to several contenders, including former officials with deep foreign policy credentials.
The reorganization signals Trump’s intent to stabilize his foreign policy team while reinforcing trust in high-level leadership during a time of global volatility.