U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the Interim National Security Advisor after it was announced that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, would resign on Thursday, May 1. Additionally, Trump has nominated Waltz as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump shared a statement on Truth Social, read, “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!”

In March, Waltz faced heavy criticism after accidentally including The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat group intended to plan a military strike on Houthi targets. Although he initially denied any wrongdoing, Waltz later acknowledged that classified details were discussed in the group, sparking a debate within the White House over whether he should resign. “I take full responsibility. I built the group,” Waltz expressed. “It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

Waltz never proposed to step down, and Trump didn’t request his resignation then. Later, Trump described Waltz as a “good man” who had “learned his lesson.” A U.S. media source suggested that Waltz’s departure could be part of a larger White House reshuffle, rather than a result of the Signal chat leak. CNN reported that it became clear earlier this week that Waltz's role as head of the National Security Council was over, as “his time leading the National Security Council had come to an end”.

On Wednesday, April 30, during an event highlighting business investment in the U.S. made during Trump’s first 100 days, most of his cabinet attended, except for Waltz and Wong, who were notably missing despite having designated seats. At the same time, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly told CNN that the Trump administration might have dismissed the wrong person, suggesting Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth should have been the one removed. “I think they’re holding the wrong guy accountable … I think they fired the wrong guy,” Kelly stated.

According to The Independent, special envoy Steve Witkoff might soon take over Waltz’s role at the White House. This would mark a surprising ascent for Witkoff, a lawyer and real estate developer from New York, who had no experience in diplomacy, defence, or public service before being picked by Trump to serve as his main Middle East peace envoy during the transition period after the 2024 election until Trump officially assumed office on January 20th.