Trump Sidelines National Security Adviser Waltz With UN Job Swap

President Donald Trump said he will nominate Michael Waltz, his current national security adviser, to be the next US ambassador to the UN, sidelining a top aide in the wake of an embarrassing scandal that saw sensitive war plans shared with a journalist.

Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser while keeping his job as secretary of state, Trump said in a post on X. Trump said Waltz “has worked hard to put our Nation’s interests first.”

Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall reports.

Waltz came under fire in March after he acknowledged inadvertently adding Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat group set up to discuss pending attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump had offered tepid support for Waltz in a recent interview, signaling his patience over the episode may have run out.

The move marks a consolidation of power for Rubio, the onetime Florida Senator who has transformed from Trump foil in the 2016 presidential campaign to one his most vocal and ardent supporters in the Cabinet. He took control of the US Agency for International Development after it was targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. He’s also acting head of the National Archives.

Like Waltz, Rubio had previously voiced hawkish views on Russia, China and Iran, but has sanded down those beliefs — at least publicly — in line with Trump’s son Donald Jr., Vice President JD Vance and the MAGA base.

It’s a major downgrade for Waltz, who will, if confirmed, move to New York and lose his constant access to the Oval Office. The former Florida congressman will slot in for Representative Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican, whose nomination was pulled to protect Republicans’ slim majority in the house.

Waltz’s deputy Alex Wong is also departing, according to several media reports. Wong had been singled out in a barrage of social-media posts by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who also took credit for the firings in April of several top national-security officials. The White House declined to comment.

On Thursday, Loomer wrote a one-word post on X — “SCALP” — that linked to an earlier post that called for Wong’s removal. His ouster, along with Loomer’s apparent role in the firings of several others, suggests that faction is gaining even more sway.

Waltz included Goldberg in the text thread days before the attack. The text group, which also included Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others, discussed details of plans for strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have staged numerous attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Trump later offered a muted defense of Waltz in an interview with Goldberg and other reporters with the Atlantic.

“Waltz is fine,” Trump said. “I mean, he’s here. He just left this office. He’s fine. He was beat up also.”

But one person familiar with the matter, who also asked not to be identified discussing private discussions, said Trump had soured on Waltz after the Signal chat imbroglio. The president believed Waltz erred when he asked Elon Musk to look into how Goldberg got added to his phone, according to the person.

Waltz should have just admitted he made a mistake and not suggested there was something more nefarious at play, the person said.

There was little public indication that Waltz’s firing had been imminent. He traveled with Trump aboard Marine One on Tuesday for an event commemorating his first 100 days in office and spoke at a meeting of Trump’s Cabinet on Wednesday. Waltz also appeared on Fox News earlier Thursday to tout a natural-resources deal signed the day before by the US and Ukraine.

Trump cycled through four national security advisers in his first term and his team had been anxious to cut down on staff turmoil this time around. Trump, who just marked his first 100 days in office, has been weakened politically with polls showing voters are wary of his economic agenda and worried that about the impact of sweeping tariffs.

--------

Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube

Weekdays 7am-6pm ET

Follow us on X

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak

Bloomberg Surveillance

Bloomberg Intelligence

Balance of Power

Bloomberg Businessweek

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

Visit our YouTube channels:

Bloomberg Podcasts

Bloomberg Television

Bloomberg Originals