By LISA MASCARO and LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has requested U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, a retired Military Nationwide Guard officer and conflict veteran, to be his nationwide safety adviser, an individual accustomed to the matter stated Monday.
The nod got here regardless of simmering issues on Capitol Hill about Trump tapping members of the Home, the place the ultimate tally continues to be unsure and there are worries about pulling any GOP members from the chamber as a result of that will pressure a brand new election to fill the empty seat. The particular person spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate the matter earlier than Trump made a proper announcement.
The transfer would put Waltz on the forefront of a litany of nationwide safety crises — starting from the continuing effort to offer weapons to Ukraine and escalating worries concerning the rising alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent assaults within the Center East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah.
Waltz, a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida, was the primary Inexperienced Beret elected to the U.S. Home, and simply gained reelection final week. He has been chairman of the Home Armed Companies subcommittee on readiness and a member of the Home Overseas Affairs Committee and the Everlasting Choose Committee on Intelligence.
Waltz is an ardent Trump advocate who backed efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He’s thought of hawkish on China, and referred to as for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing resulting from its involvement within the origin of COVID-19 and its ongoing mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur inhabitants.
He has been a pointy critic of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and has referred to as on the U.S. to carry accountable those that bear accountability for the deaths of the 13 U.S. service members at Abbey Gate and for “thousands of Americans and allies behind enemy lines.”
He has additionally repeated Trump’s frequent complaints a few so-called “woke” army that the previous president has derided as gentle and too targeted on range and fairness applications.
In an announcement final yr, Waltz stated that as head of the readiness subcommittee: “I am ready to get to work to better equip our military and turn our focus away from woke priorities and back to winning wars. Our national security depends on it.”
A graduate of Virginia Army Institute, Waltz was a Inexperienced Beret. He served within the active-duty Military for 4 years earlier than shifting to the Florida Guard. Whereas within the Guard he did a number of fight excursions in Afghanistan, the Center East and Africa and was awarded 4 Bronze Stars, together with two with valor.
He additionally labored within the Pentagon as a coverage adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates have been protection chiefs.
The Trump transition group didn’t reply to a request for remark. Waltz’s choice was first reported by The Wall Road Journal.
AP writers Jill Colvin in New York and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.
Initially Revealed: November 11, 2024 at 5:04 PM PST
