Former Republican Representative and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has begun Senate confirmation hearings for his nomination to become the US’s next ambassador to the United Nations (UN).
UN Ambassador appointee Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, is known for his hardline policy approach to countries hostile to the US.
President Donald Trump appointed Waltz to the UN ambassadorship after rescinding Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's (R-NY) nomination to preserve the conservative majority in the US House of Representatives.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress, and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” said Trump as he announced Waltz’s appointment via Truth Social. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
Waltz expressed hope for a better US presence at the UN and an overall improvement of the multinational organization during his first hearing.
“I'm confident under this president's leadership, we can continue to spread peace and prosperity, and I'm confident we can make the U.N. great again,” said Waltz.
Waltz’s confirmation hearings, however, are expected to be controversial given he departed from the Trump administration after being involved in a military intelligence leak.
Last March, Waltz mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in a private Signal chat discussing U.S. military plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.
Goldberg initially withheld sensitive operational details but later published them after top national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed no classified information had been shared.
Democrat lawmakers criticized the Trump administration for allegedly discussing classified information via unsecured channels.
President Trump reportedly defended Waltz, stating “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson and is a good man."
Waltz denied knowing Goldberg and supported efforts to uncover “how the heck” the latter entered the Signal chat.
