In the first personnel adjustment of his second term, on May 1, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of National Security Advisor Michael Waltz as US Ambassador to the United Nations, while Secretary Marco Rubio will temporarily concurrently hold the position of National Security Advisor, while still running the Department of State.
"I am pleased to announce that I will nominate Mr. Mike Waltz as US Ambassador to the United Nations. From the battlefield to Congress, and recently the White House, he has always put national interests first," Trump wrote on his Truth Social social network. "Temporarily, Foreign Minister Rubio will concurrently hold the role of security advisor. We will continue to fight to make America and the world safe again."
ABC News quoted a source from the White House as saying that the decision to transfer the National Security Advisor comes as President Trump has gradually expressed dissatisfaction after Mr. Waltz accidentally added a reporter to the Signal chat group - a group discussing plans to airstrike Houthi rebels in Yemen, a mistake considered a "collision" in the security world.
Although he did not directly fire Mr. Waltz after the scandal, the move to delegate him to the diplomatic role was said to be to mitigate the pressure and avoid public confrontation.
Previously, President Trump defended Mr. Waltz, calling him a "good person who has learned a lesson", but also frankly warned against using the Signal encrypted messaging app. "Maybe it's better than not using Signal anymore. I don't want anyone in my administration to rely on it," Trump told The Atlantic.
On X, Mr. Waltz responded: "I am honored to continue to serve our great President and nation."
Vice President J.D Vance told Fox News that Mr. Waltz was not "affected", but was a strategic adjustment after the reforms in the National Security Council were basically completed.
We think he will be more suitable for the role of UN Ambassador in the new period, Vance Vice President said.
However, the nomination of Ambassador to the United Nations must be approved by the Senate. Mr. Waltz is expected to face tense hearings on capacity and responsibility.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - who was Trump's political opponent in 2016 but is now one of the cabinet's pillars - was chosen to "fill the void" at this sensitive time.
Notably, he has remained Secretary of State during his tenure, showing President Trump's absolute confidence in Mr. Rubio's ability to "reappoint" him in the early stages of his second term.
Secretary Rubio's additional important role marks the strengthening of power for the hardline in the Trump administration amid the context of US foreign policy entering a period of reshaping after the first 100 days of Trump's volatile second term.
