President Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating Mike Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, moving him out of his post as White House national security adviser in a big administration shake-up.
Mr. Trump said on social media that Mr. Waltz “has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”
The president also said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser, while maintaining his role as the nation’s top diplomat.
The changes come a month after Mr. Waltz took the blame for accidentally inviting a journalist into a sensitive group chat among top administration officials discussing plans for an imminent U.S. military attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The U.N. post is still open because Mr. Trump withdrew his first nominee for the job, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, to help House Republicans keep their slim majority from eroding. The president also had tapped Mr. Waltz from Congress for the White House post.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, during a press conference discussing the shake-up of the National Security Council, said she found out the news while she was briefing the press.
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“One thing I’ve learned is that things don’t happen until the president says they’re going to happen,” Ms. Bruce said. “That is the miracle of modern technology and the social media.
“That is an exciting moment here. I think that as I know Secretary Rubio, this is a man who I think you all know has worn several hats from day one,” she said.
