Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2025.
Waltz out of White House, as Rubio adds more to his plate
US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz will exit his post, CBS News first reported, and will be nominated as ambassador to the United Nations. The move brings a premature end to the Floridian’s tumultuous White House stint, one that has been marred ever since he accidentally added a journalist from The Atlantic to a Signal chat discussion about US attack plans in Yemen. President Donald Trump confirmed the reshuffle on social media.
It began before Signal-gate. Waltz reportedly didn’t gel with Trump or his most senior advisers from the off. He clashed with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and his history – he advocated against Trump’s rise in 2016 – left him vulnerable to attacks from the right.
Dems on offense. Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA), who holds a swing seat covering parts of Los Angeles and Orange County, called Waltz “one of the rotten apples in the barrel.” But he didn’t stop there, calling for the ousting of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth too.
“It’s not enough that it’s just Waltz, it has to be Hegseth as well,” he told GZERO. Hegseth was the one who shared the war plans on the Signal chat that Waltz created but has thus far escaped punishment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been calling for Hegseth’s head for over a month.
From one Florida man to another. In his stead, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve in Waltz’s role on an interim basis, adding yet another role to his portfolio. The former Florida senator entered the administration as the secretary of state, before subsuming USAID into his command in February as well as Waltz’s role now.
Whether he lasts in this trio of roles for long is another matter — the Miami native has long had presidential ambitions, which he could pursue in 2028.
Not the launchpad it used to be. Six of the first 15 US presidents had served as secretary of state before becoming commander-in-chief, but none since. Mike Pompeo, who held the position for the last two years of Trump’s first term, flirted with a run but ultimately declined when his polling mirrored that of the fictional Connor Roy in “Succession.” Rubio’s path to the presidency thus remains a challenging one.Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., speaks during Day 3 of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, on July 17, 2024.
Trump picks Trudeau critics for Cabinet
President Donald Trump’s credulity-straining Cabinet picks (Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, for example) are getting all the attention, but anyone interested in the relationship between Canada and the United States will want to know that two of his lower-profile nominees are no fans of the Canadian prime minister.
Trump’s next national security advisor, Rep. Michael Waltz, has a long track record of critical public comments about Justin Trudeau, suggesting he is weak on China and that Canadians should get rid of him.
Waltz represents Florida’s 6th District in the House of Representatives, which includes Daytona Beach, a frequent destination for Canadian sunseekers, which may explain his interest in Canadian politics.
In May, Waltz shared a post from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre: “This guy is going to send Trudeau packing in 2025 (finally) and start digging Canada out of the progressive mess it’s in.”
Waltz’s dim view of the Trudeau government may strain security cooperation between the two countries, but Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, is more likely to be front and center at the conflict point.
Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, will be in charge of implementing Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented foreigners. Homan is from West Carthage, NY, just south of the northern border, which he sees as a threat because of irregular crossings.
On Monday, he told a local TV station there that he intends to make it harder for illegal immigrants to get into the United States, promising to arrest any who try.
“We’re gonna lock you up,” he said. “So more agents, we’ll end catch and release, and President Trump will need to work with Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau and say, ‘look, you need to enforce the immigration laws you have because this is a gateway to the US.’”
Homan is not a Trudeau fan. “Find a better man,” he said in February. “He’s terrible."
Trump’s chosen deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, meanwhile, has called Canada “increasingly authoritarian and despotic” and referred to the PM as “far-left Trudeau.”
The Canadians are bracing for the impact of Trump, beefing up surveillance aimed at preventing crossings in the other direction. The likely result is a more heavily policed frontier, which could slow the trade that both sides rely on.