Trump Ousts Waltz, Installs Rubio in Dual Role

Trump Administration Sees Major National Security Shake-Up as Waltz Exits, Rubio Steps In

 

 

In a dramatic reshuffle at the heart of the Trump administration, President Donald Trump announced on 1 May that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will step down from his post and be nominated as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The decision, delivered personally by the President via social media, signals both a strategic repositioning and political damage control as the administration grapples with internal missteps and mounting scrutiny.

Trump’s announcement, which followed weeks of speculation inside Washington’s corridors of power, confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will assume Waltz’s duties on an interim basis. This makes Rubio one of the most centralised figures in the Trump administration, now holding four titles — Secretary of State, interim National Security Adviser, acting USAID Administrator, and acting Archivist of the United States.

While Trump hailed Waltz’s service, highlighting his record in the military, Congress, and the White House, the underlying context of the reshuffle tells a more complex story. Waltz has faced increasing internal criticism in recent weeks, not least due to his involvement in what has been dubbed “Signalgate” — a cybersecurity blunder in which he mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal chat involving sensitive discussions about military operations in Yemen.

The revelation, first circulated among Washington insiders, caused consternation within the Pentagon and sparked a quiet, but resolute, campaign within the administration to move Waltz out of the national security hot seat. Though Trump refrained from directly addressing the scandal, the timing of Waltz’s departure appears to be a calculated response to the fallout.

Waltz's reassignment to the U.N., a post that requires Senate confirmation, may serve as a soft landing rather than a full exile, enabling the administration to maintain continuity while sidestepping a full-blown controversy. Nonetheless, the transition leaves questions about coherence within Trump’s second-term foreign policy framework.

Rubio’s assumption of national security responsibilities is not without precedent. The arrangement evokes comparisons to Henry Kissinger, who during the Nixon years, simultaneously served as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State — a consolidation of power that raised eyebrows then as it does now. Yet Rubio, a seasoned lawmaker and once-rival to Trump, has increasingly become one of the President’s most trusted lieutenants.

The reshuffle also raises concerns about overstretch. With Rubio helming the State Department, USAID, the National Archives, and now the National Security Council, there is growing chatter among foreign policy experts and diplomats over whether one man can effectively manage such sprawling responsibilities in an administration already known for its chaotic staffing approach.

As Marine One lifted off from the South Lawn en route to Trump’s commencement speech in Alabama, the President ignored shouted questions about the decision, underscoring the administration’s characteristic opacity in moments of crisis.

For now, Waltz remains in the Trump orbit, albeit in a different lane, while Rubio’s consolidation of power marks a new and uncertain chapter in America’s national security leadership.