Mike Waltz Was Fired — Who Will Replace Him as National Security Advisor?

Somebody better check on Mike Waltz because he's had a heck of a time during President Donald Trump's second term. On Nov. 12, 2024, the president officially nominated Waltz to be his national security advisor. In a statement shared by the American Presidency Project, Trump went through the then Congressman's resume which included his impressive military career that spanned 27 years.

His political career began in 2018 after Waltz ran for Florida's 6th congressional district, which he won. It's possible Waltz got on Trump's radar in December 2020 after he joined 125 Republican members of the House of Representatives in supporting a lawsuit that contested the results of the 2020 election. Roughly four years later, Waltz was lightly fired as national security adviser following the controversy known as SignalGate. Who will replace him? Here's what we know.

As per usual, Trump posted the news about Waltz on Truth Social, his favorite place to share wild updates. On May 1, the president revealed that he was nominating Waltz as 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," he wrote. As a reminder, Waltz was the national security advisor for a little over three months.

Following the president's announcement, Waltz shared a screenshot of the Truth Social post on X writing, "I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation." According to Politico, President Trump could be looking at Steve Witkoff, who serves as United States Special Envoy to the Middle East. Prior to wading into political waters, Witkoff was a real estate tycoon who previously did business with Trump.

Axios reported that five sources believe White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is a "top contender" to replace Waltz as national security advisor. One source told the outlet that "Miller has made the Homeland Security Council run 'like clockwork,' and that it's 'infinitely more effective than the NSC [National Security Council] with a tiny fraction' of the staff."

One insider said this would be a great fit for Miller, who has worked well with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the past. Incidentally, Rubio is acting as the interim national security adviser until a permanent replacement takes over. Although Miller couldn't be reached for comment, another source said he might not be interested in this elevated position if it takes him away from what he loves the most: immigration policy.

Apart from Miller and Witkoff, the president is reportedly looking at NSC senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka and Trump’s special envoy for special missions Richard Grenell, reported Politico. When asked about this, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources."