President Donald Trump has nominated Mike Waltz to be the next U.S Ambassador to the United Nations just hours after firing him as national security advisor.
Waltz was axed after accidentally adding The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat discussing an impending strike on Iran-backed rebels on the Signal messaging app.
But rather than being shelved on Thursday, he was quickly shuffled back into another top job.
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Trump waited for weeks before relieving his security chief from his duties and he made no comment on the “Signalgate” debacle before reassigning him.
The president revealed the former congressman’s new job on Thursday afternoon, posting on Truth Social: “I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. 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.
“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Rubio will be acting as national security advisor until a full-time replacement is named. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kennedy Center head Ric Grenell are among those tipped for the position.
Ironically, Rep. Elise Stefanik was originally set to take the United Nations job but was asked by Trump to remain in Congress to preserve the slim GOP majority. Waltz gave up his congressional seat to serve as national security advisor.
Waltz was left red-faced after his role was revealed in the Signal saga. He was branded a “f---ing idiot’ by a White House insider for accidentally including the journalist on the White House group that shared information about a military attack being planned against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The strike was not wrecked by the blunder but Trump was said to be furious over the humiliation involving his national security team.
Waltz was the first to be pushed out of his job but the quick shake-up meant he wasn’t out of work for long.
According to CNN, Trump decided against firing Waltz right away because he didn’t want to hark back to the kind of chaos his first term was infamous for.
Just hours before getting the axe, Waltz was still talking in glowing terms about his boss. After learning that he was being nominated for the UN with its swanky New York residence, he posted on X: “I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation.”
No details were revealed on the fate of Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, who is also reportedly departing.
