JD Vance reveals reason why Trump removed Mike Waltz from national security advisor role
WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance revealed the real reason why President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz from the national security advisor role.
The 40-year-old told Fox News 'Special Report' host Bret Baier on Thursday, May 1, "We brought Mike on to do some serious reforms of the National Security Council. He has done that."
Bret Baier: “Why was Mike Waltz let go?”
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) May 1, 2025
VP Vance: “So, he wasn’t let go. He’s being made ambassador to the United Nations, which of course is a Senate-confirmed position. I think you can make a good argument that it’s a promotion.” pic.twitter.com/Jlgckqbwd8
JD Vance believes Mike Waltz would make a 'better UN ambassador'
JD Vance added, "I like Mike. I think he’s a great guy. He’s got the trust of both me and the president, but we also thought that he’d make a better UN ambassador as we get beyond this stage of the reforms that we’ve made to the National Security Council."
"I think you can make a good argument that it’s a promotion," he remarked.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Thursday to announce that he was nominating Waltz to be ambassador to the United Nations, which will require Senate confirmation, per the New York Post.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser.
During his interview, Vance added, "I think the media wants to frame this as a firing. Donald Trump has fired a lot of people. He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards. What he thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration, most importantly, the American people, in that role."
Trump's decision to shuffle his Cabinet shocked people who are close to the White House, as many didn’t see Waltz losing his old job and getting picked as UN envoy.
Interestingly, Rep Elise Stefanik was first chosen to be Trump’s UN ambassador but was later told to stay in Congress to boost the House GOP majority, per the outlet.
Following Trump's announcement, Waltz took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation."
I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation. pic.twitter.com/FFTPjnIYkI
— Mike Waltz (@MikeWaltz47) May 1, 2025
Mike Waltz was denied entry on Donald Trump's Air Force One just days before ouster
Mike Waltz was left stranded on the tarmac after Air Force One headed for Michigan on April 29, two days before he was ousted from his role as national security advisor.
Waltz had accompanied Trump and other members of the POTUS' team on Marine One, the presidential helicopter, on a 10-minute ride to Joint Base Andrews, as per The Daily Beast.
White House sources called his abandonment "odd," which was captured on camera by CNN, and the clip soon went viral online.
The moment Mike Walz realized he was done. Imagine getting on Marine One with your boss and then left standing on the tarmac 10 minutes later. What a circus. pic.twitter.com/K8x255qHm0
— Kevin McNamee 🌻 (@kwmcnamee) May 1, 2025
The viral footage shows Waltz heading toward a set of stairs leading up to the plane, with a briefcase in hand, before speaking with another aide, who points him in a different direction.
He stood by, watching, as other Trump officials ascended the boarding stairs.
The White House informed CNN that the plan had never been for Waltz to head to Michigan.
Interestingly, Waltz gave an interview to Fox News just moments before the news of his ouster broke.
He said during the interview, "This is leadership at its finest led by our commander-in-chief who loves the troops and they love him."
