US President-Elect Donald Trump officially announced his choice of Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as National Security Adviser in the upcoming administration.
"I am honored to announce that Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) is hereby appointed to serve in my Cabinet as my National Security Advisor," Trump announced on Tuesday.
Trump continued, "Mike is the first Green Beret to have been elected to Congress, and previously served in the White House and Pentagon. Mike served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years where he was deployed multiple times in combat for which he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two with Valor. Mike retired as a Colonel, and is a nationally recognized leader in National Security, a bestselling author, and an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism. He serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Mike is a distinguished graduate with honors of the Virginia Military Institute."
"Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!" the President-Elect's announcement concluded.
Waltz, a Green Beret veteran who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, was one of Trump's most visible surrogates during the 2024 campaign, helping spearhead military outreach and leading the Veterans For Trump coalition.
He has in the past served as a policy adviser to former Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates.
Waltz has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the United States to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.
On the war in Ukraine, Waltz initially called for the Biden administration to provide more weapons to the Ukrainians to help them push back Russian forces, but during an event last month, Waltz called for a reassessment of the United States' aims in Ukraine.
In December of 2023, Waltz was a signatory to a letter written by US elected officials, as well as national security and military experts, who called for America to stand with Israel as it works to eradicate Hamas.
In 2022, Waltz was one of nearly 200 House Republicans who wrote to President Biden warning that any nuclear deal made with Iran without Congress' approval "will meet the same fate" as the 2015 agreement.
More recently, after Israel eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Waltz wrote in a post on X, “The mastermind of the Oct 7th massacre Yahya Sinwar spent a year hiding behind hostages and civilians like a coward. Now, he can join his partners in evil - Mohammed Deif, Haniyeh, and Nasrallah. Keep going Israel. We are with you.”
The National Security adviser, a highly influential post appointed by the President that is not subject to Senate confirmation requirements, coordinates among all the top national security agencies and is tasked with briefing the president and executing his policies.