Who is Mike Waltz, Trump's new National Security Adviser
Donald Trump has asked U.S. Representative Mike Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and combat veteran, to serve as his National Security Adviser. The position, which does not require Senate confirmation, places Waltz at the center of handling several pressing global security challenges, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, tensions with China, and the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea.
Waltz’s Role and Policy Stance
Waltz, a three-term Republican congressman from Florida, is known for his hawkish stance on China and Iran. He has been a sharp critic of the Biden administration’s national security strategy, including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and handling of Chinese espionage. Waltz has pushed for a tougher U.S. approach to counter China’s influence, calling for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights violations and concerns around COVID-19 origins.
As chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Intelligence Committee, Waltz has advocated for increased military readiness and reduced focus on diversity and equity initiatives in the armed forces. “I am ready to get to work to better equip our military and turn our focus away from woke priorities and back to winning wars. Our national security depends on it,” Waltz said previously in a statement.
Reacting to reports of Waltz's selection, Richard Goldberg, a former National Security Council official in Trump’s first
