Washington — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican, as his national security adviser, two sources familiar with the plans confirmed to CBS News.
The national security adviser is a top aide to the president who plays a major role in foreign and national security policy decision-making.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Trump had selected Waltz.
Before his election to Congress, Waltz served in various roles at the Pentagon and White House, including as defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates.
Waltz’s wife, Julia Nesheiwat, served as Trump’s Homeland Security adviser in the last year of his first term.
President-elect Donald Trump is anticipated to appoint Rep. He appointed Republican Michael Waltz of Florida as his national security adviser, according to two people with knowledge of the plans who spoke to CBS News.
One of the president’s top aides, the national security adviser is heavily involved in the formulation of both foreign and national security policy. The Senate does not need to confirm the position.
After serving several combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa as a Green Beret, Waltz was elected to Congress in 2018 to succeed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The news that Trump had chosen Waltz was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
A China hawk, Waltz is a member of the House China Task Force, which looks for ways to counter the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Additionally, he has expressed doubt about providing Ukraine with additional aid as it fights Russia’s invasion. In his words, the U. A. has “leverage” over both Russia and Ukraine to bring them to the negotiating table for a war-ending solution.
“We have leverage; for example, we removed the handcuffs from the long-range weapons we gave Ukraine. Later this month, he told NPR, “Of course, I think we have plenty of leverage with Zelenskyy to get them to the table.”.
Almost thirty years were spent in the U.S. S. . During his second term in Congress, he retired from the Army and the National Guard. He received two of the four Bronze Stars for valor.
Waltz held a number of positions at the White House and Pentagon prior to his election to Congress, including director of defense policy for Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretaries of Defense.
In the final year of his first term, Trump’s Homeland Security adviser was Julia Nesheiwat, Waltz’s wife. During the Bush and Obama administrations, she also held a variety of positions.
