Who is Mike Waltz, Trump's choice for ambassador to the UN?

Republican former congressman from Florida is a hawkish, long-time ally of Donald Trump

Mike Waltz, then national security adviser, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30. Reuters

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that he was removing his national security adviser Mike Waltz and nominating him for US ambassador to the UN.

The decision came after it emerged that Mr Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were leaving the administration. The shake-up follows revelations that Mr Waltz added a journalist to a Signal chat group where military plans to bomb the Houthis in Yemen were being discussed.

Mr Trump's decision to appoint Mr Waltz to the UN follows his withdrawal of Elise Stefanik of New York, his initial nominee for the position, weeks earlier.

Although Ms Stefanik had undergone a confirmation hearing, her nomination was rescinded in March as her vote in support of Mr Trump’s agenda remains crucial to House Republicans.

Mr Waltz's transition from national security adviser to nominee for UN ambassador will now require him to undergo Senate confirmation, a process he avoided in January.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mr Waltz would replace former president Joe Biden’s UN envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who faced backlash for vetoes of humanitarian resolutions for Gaza.

“It looks like Trump is using the UN as a safe place to exile Waltz,” Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group, told The National.

“But I think other diplomats will at least be glad that there is finally a US ambassador on the way to New York, and optimistic UN officials point out that he knows how Trump thinks.”

Republicans have long been sceptical of the UN and frequently attacked the institution, claiming it has an anti-Israel bias.

The Trump administration is considering a proposal to slash the State Department’s budget by nearly half, a move that would gut international aid and strip the UN of critical funding.

Since resuming office on January 20, the President has ceased US participation in the UN Human Rights Council, continued the suspension of funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, and initiated a review of the UN cultural agency Unesco.

He has also declared US intentions to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organisation.

Karen Hult, professor of political science at Virginia Tech's Centre for Public Administration and Policy, said Mr Waltz's appointment solves two problems: it fills the gap left after Ms Stefanik's name was removed; and takes away a source of criticism over the Signal incident.

"Meanwhile, as long as Secretary Rubio remains the Secretary of State and serves as the 'acting' national security adviser, it technically is not a demotion but rather an increase in access to the President," she told The National. "'Acting' officials are frequently more responsive to presidential directions and demands, in part in order to keep their positions."

Who is Mike Waltz?

Mr Waltz, a colonel in the National Guard and a three-term Republican congressman from Florida, is a long-time Trump loyalist who supported the president-elect's claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

He is a China hawk and has been a vocal critic of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress, after several combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, according to his biography.

Mr Waltz worked as an adviser to defence secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, and he advised former vice president Dick Cheney on counter-terrorism.

He has credited the temporary Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement to the “Trump effect” and has said that the US would continue to support Israel.

“I want the people of Israel to be very clear and to hear me loud and clear: you're dealing with President Trump … who fully supports Israel,” Mr Waltz told Fox News in January. “No one has done more for Israel than President Trump. We will have their back to make sure Hamas never exists as a terrorist state and certainly does not govern Gaza.”

Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, congratulated Mr Waltz on his nomination.

“Waltz is a true friend of the state of Israel and of the Jewish people, and we will stand together against the forces of lies and hatred at the UN,” Mr Danon said.

"Our alliance is stronger than ever – especially in the face of the hypocrisy and moral decay that characterises several UN institutions.”