Mike Waltz announced as U.N. Ambassador hours after ouster as National Security Adviser

Mike Waltz gets a win for extra sanctions.

President Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The announcement came hours after reports of Waltz’s ouster as White House National Security Adviser. But while Waltz, and many staffers working closely with him at the National Security Council, may be leaving that post, the St. Augustine Beach Republican still holds a level of trust with Trump.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump posted. “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. I know he will do the same in his new role.”

Trump also announced that another Florida leader will take on many of Waltz’s former duties as National Security Adviser, at least for now.

“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department,” Trump posted. “Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN.”

Rubio, formerly one of Florida’s U.S. Senators, was tapped by Trump to lead the State Department in November.

Last year, both Rubio and Waltz were under consideration at various points to be Trump’s running mate, a job that ultimately went to then-U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Both ultimately gave up their elected offices representing Florida in Congress in order to join the administration. Rubio’s seat was filled after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody, previously Florida’s Attorney General, to the seat. Voters in Florida’s 6th Congressional District elected U.S. Rep. Randy Fine to succeed Waltz last month.

Of note, Waltz is Trump’s second nominee to the role of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. The President initially announced U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, would fill the role. But Trump withdrew her nomination in March. At the time, there were widely reported concerns that House Republicans could not risk losing her in the caucus, especially amid polling that showed Fine underperforming in the CD 6 Special Election.

Waltz left his job as National Security Adviser amid scrutiny over his role adding Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal chat updating key administration figures on an impending strike on the Houthis. The chat included top-level administration members, including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Waltz in a Fox News interview took responsibility for including a journalist in the conversation, but said he did not know Goldberg and was investigating how the contact was “sucked” into his phone. The Atlantic later released an unedited transcript of the Signal chat, which clearly showed that Waltz added Goldberg to the chat.