Updated Nov 11, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump taps Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser

Andrew Solender

Rep. Michael Waltz, wearing a blue suit and standing in front of trees. — Rep. Michael Waltz outside the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2024. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.

President-elect Trump plans to appoint Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: The pick, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, elevates one of House Republicans' preeminent China hawks to a key national security role within the Trump administration.

It also further diminishes what is already set to be an agonizingly narrow majority for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after Trump tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his ambassador to the United Nations.

Zoom in: Waltz is a former Army Green Beret who served in the Afghanistan war, later working as a defense policy official in Pentagon and White House during George W. Bush's administration.

He was first elected to Congress in 2018 to replace now-Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and has served on the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.
Waltz has been one of Congress' most outspoken critics of China, arguing in 2021 that the U.S. is in a "cold war" with the Communist nation.

What they're saying: "President-Elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second Administration soon. Those decisions will be announced when they are made," said Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

Go deeper: House election results: Where the fight for control stands

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more context. Rebecca Falconer contributed reporting.

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Trump taps Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser

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