U.S. President Donald Trump announced on May 1 that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is leaving his position and will be nominated as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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 take on the role of national security adviser while continuing to lead the State Department, according to the statement.
Earlier on May 1, Fox News reported that Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were dismissed from the Trump administration, following a high-profile Signal group chat leak involving sensitive military discussions.
Waltz, a former Florida congressman and decorated Green Beret, had been under pressure since March, when the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief revealed he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat where top officials, including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, discussed military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Waltz has also reportedly created and hosted other sensitive national-security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including those on peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Waltz later took full responsibility for the March incident, calling it “embarrassing” in an April interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
Previously, Waltz has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting he is not genuinely seeking an end to the war with Russia. He also pressed Kyiv to sign the minerals deal, saying Ukraine "needs to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal."
According to CNN, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy and longtime ally, is being considered as a possible replacement for Waltz.
Witkoff, a real estate developer with limited diplomatic experience, has raised concerns among some officials due to his alignment with Russian narratives and his informal role in key international negotiations, including U.S. talks with Iran and efforts to end Russian war in Ukraine.
Recently, he has emerged as Trump's de facto personal envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff has been to Moscow at least four times for talks with the Russian president and other top officials.
Anna Fratsyvir
(Updated: )
