Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has removed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz from his post and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim successor, marking the first significant shake-up in Trump’s senior leadership team since taking office in January.
In a statement shared on social media, Trump announced that he intends to nominate Waltz as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “He has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first,” the president wrote, praising Waltz’s service while signaling a shift in his role.
Earlier in the day, multiple sources confirmed that Trump had made the decision to remove Waltz from his White House duties. The move comes amid lingering internal tension, following a March controversy involving a Signal chat group of top national security officials that brought criticism to Waltz.
The appointment of Rubio to serve simultaneously as Secretary of State and interim National Security Adviser is unprecedented in recent history. The last person to hold both roles was Henry Kissinger in the 1970s.
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In a further change within the administration, Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, is also stepping down. Wong, a specialist in Asian affairs and a key figure in North Korea policy during Trump’s first term, is leaving his position, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The national security adviser is one of the most influential positions in the U.S. government, guiding the president on foreign policy and national defense. Notably, the role does not require Senate confirmation.
As Trump begins reshaping his foreign policy team, attention now turns to how Rubio will manage both high-stakes roles in a turbulent global landscape.
