Trump picks Mike Waltz, a China hawk, to be his national security adviser
Michael Waltz, who has been a leading critic of China, would be responsible for briefing Donald Trump on key national security issues
US President-elect Donald Trump has asked US congressman Michael Waltz, a retired US Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The nod came despite simmering concerns on Capitol Hill about Trump tapping members of the House, where the final tally is still uncertain and there are worries about pulling any Republican members from the chamber because that would force a new election to fill the empty seat. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before Trump made a formal announcement.
The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation
The move would put Waltz at the forefront of a litany of national security crises – ranging from the ongoing effort to provide weapons to Ukraine and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.
Waltz, a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida, was the first Green Beret elected to the US House, and easily won re-election last week. He has been chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Waltz is an ardent Trump advocate who backed efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of Covid-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uygur population.
