Mike Waltz | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Waltz in 2025 | |
| 29th United States National Security Advisor | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Alex Wong |
| Preceded by | Jake Sullivan |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's6th district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 20, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ron DeSantis |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael George Glen Waltz (1974-01-31)January 31, 1974 (age 51) Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Virginia Military Institute (BA) |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | U.S. Army Special Forces |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Bronze Star (4) |
Michael George Glen Waltz (born January 31, 1974) is an American politician, businessman, author, and formerArmy Special Forces officer who is the 29th and currentU.S. national security advisor, serving underPresidentDonald Trump since 2025.[1] A member of theRepublican Party, he was theU.S. representative forFlorida's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. He was the first Army Special Forces soldier to be elected toCongress.
Waltz received fourBronze Stars while serving in theSpecial Forces during multiple combat tours inAfghanistan, theMiddle East, andAfrica. He served in theBush administration as a defense policy director inthe Pentagon and as counterterrorism advisor toVice PresidentDick Cheney.
In2018, Waltz was elected to the House of Representatives, defeating formerambassadorNancy Soderberg and succeedingRon DeSantis, who was electedgovernor of Florida thatsame year. Waltz was re-elected in2020,2022, and2024 with over 60% of the vote in each election. He was chair of theHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness for the118th United States Congress. Waltz was considered one of Congress's most hawkish members with regard to China, believing theChinese Communist Party (CCP) is in a cold war with the U.S. In 2021, he was the first member of Congress to call for a full U.S. boycott of the2022 Winter Olympics inBeijing over what he described as the CCP'sgenocide and internment of Chinese Uyghur populations and the enslavement, forced labor, andinternment camps ofethnic minorities in China.
On November 12, 2024,President-electDonald Trump announced he would appoint Waltz to serve asNational Security Advisor in hissecond administration. Waltz resigned his House seat prior to taking office as National Security Advisor on January 20, 2025.
Waltz was born on January 31, 1974, inBoynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville, where he graduated fromStanton College Preparatory School.[2][3] He earned aBachelor of Arts degree ininternational studies from theVirginia Military Institute, graduating with honors as aDistinguished Military Graduate.
Waltz was commissioned as anArmor officer in theU.S. Army.[4][5] He later graduated fromRanger School and was selected to be a Green Beret,[when?] serving worldwide as aSpecial Forces officer with multiple tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. For his actions in combat, Waltz was decorated with four Bronze Stars, including two for valor.[6]
Waltz worked in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for secretaries of defenseDonald Rumsfeld andRobert Gates. He went on to serve in the White House as the vice president's counterterrorism advisor.[7] Waltz wroteWarrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan.[8]
In 2010, Waltz helped found the analytics and training company Metis Solutions. It was bought in November 2020 byPacific Architects and Engineers for $92 million.[9]
Upon becoming the national security advisor under President Donald Trump, Waltz retired from the Army reserve at the rank of colonel.
Waltz ran forFlorida's 6th congressional district in 2018 to succeed incumbent RepublicanRon DeSantis, who retired before being electedgovernor of Florida.[10][11] He defeated John Ward andFred Costello in the Republican primary[12] before facing Democratic nomineeNancy Soderberg, a former representative at the United Nations and the formerdeputy national security advisor, in the general election.[13] Waltz won with 56.31% of the vote to Soderberg's 43.69%.[14]
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Waltz was challenged by Democratic nominee Clint Curtis. He received 265,393 votes (60.64%) to Curtis's 172,305 (39.36%).[15]
Waltz was sworn in to the116th United States Congress on January 3, 2019.
In April 2020, Waltz joined the National Guard'sCOVID-19 response efforts as a colonel on the planning staff.[16] On November 6, 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, he tested positive for thevirus.[17]
In December 2020, Waltz was one of 126 Republican members of theHouse of Representatives to sign anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the2020 presidential election, in whichJoe Biden defeated[18] incumbentDonald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lackedstanding underArticle III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[19][20][21] Shortly thereafter, theOrlando Sentinel editorial board rescinded its endorsement of Waltz in the 2020 election.[22] It wrote, "We had no idea, had no way of knowing at the time, that Waltz was not committed to democracy."[22][23] Ultimately, Waltz voted toconfirm the electoral victory of Joe Biden.
Along with all other Senate and House Republicans, Waltz voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[24]
On May 19, 2021, Waltz voted against legislation to establish the formation of aJanuary 6 commission meant to investigate thestorming of the U.S. Capitol.[25]
On July 29, 2024, Waltz was announced as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan task force investigating theattempted assassination of Donald Trump.[26]
Waltz served on theHouse China Task Force[27] with 15 Republican lawmakers representing 14 committees of jurisdiction to coordinate policy on China. The Task Force collaborated and released the China Task Force report. The CTF issued a final report that includes 82 key findings and more than 400 forward-leaning recommendations for addressing the China threat.[28]
In the 116th Congress, Waltz sponsored the American Critical Mineral Exploration and Innovation Act of 2020[29] to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals and bring the U.S. supply chain from China back to America by establishing a critical mineral research and development program in theDepartment of Energy. The bill was signed into law in Section 7002 of Division Z in the FY21 appropriations bill.[30]
Waltz has also pioneered legislation to secure American universities and academies fromChinese espionage, saying that although not all Chinese students in the United States are "spies or bad people", they "have no choice but to provide the Chinese government with whatever information that government demands".[31] In 2020, he secured legislation that provides a universal requirement for all agencies for researchers to disclose all foreign funding sources in applications for federal funding. Failure would result in permanent termination of research and development awards to the professor or school, permanent debarment of malign professors, and criminal charges.[32] Further, Waltz directed theDepartment of Defense to track foreign talent recruitment programs that pose a threat to the United States, particularly as a response to Chinese Communist Party efforts to infiltrate American universities.[32]
Waltz also sponsored legislation[33] to ensure the federalThrift Savings Plan (TSP) does not invest in Chinese or Russian markets. Weeks later, President Trump directed theFederal Retirement Thrift Investment Board[34] to reverse their decision to expand TSP investments.
In 2020, Waltz voted for theNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021, which would prevent the president from withdrawing soldiers fromAfghanistan without congressional approval.[35]
Shortly after Waltz's 2021 op-ed,The Intercept reported on his role in founding and managing a defense contracting company called Metis Solutions, which had landed contracts worth an accumulated $930 million in Afghanistan from the US government, largely in the area of training Afghan security forces. As a result ofPAE acquiring Metis in 2020, Waltz had personally realized capital gains in the range of $5-25 million, according to disclosure releases.[36]
In 2024, he voted against multiple Ukraine bills to aid Ukraine.[37][38]
In January 2023, Waltz and RepresentativeDan Crenshaw introduced a bill to seek authorization to use US military force to "put us at war with the cartels" in Mexico.[39]
Waltz voted to include provisions for drafting women in the NDAA of 2022.[40]
Waltz voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158),[41] which effectively prohibitsImmigration and Customs Enforcement from cooperating with theDepartment of Health and Human Services to detain or removeillegal alien sponsors ofUnaccompanied Alien Children.[citation needed]
On July 19, 2022, Waltz and 46 other Republican representatives voted for theRespect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[42]
Waltz endorsedDonald Trump for the2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.[43]
Waltz was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[44]
ThePACT ACT which expandedVA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service, received a "nay" from Waltz.[45] Regarding cannabis, despite lobbying fromVSOs such as theDAV,[46] Waltz also voted against the2022 MORE Act.[47]
For the118th Congress:[48]
Waltz was a member of the followingCongressional caucuses:[49][50]
On November 12, 2024, President-electDonald Trump announced that he would appoint Waltz to serve as hisnational security advisor.[66]
On January 20, 2025, Waltz tendered his resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives in order to take up his appointment with the Trump administration.[67] He would assume office the same day.[68] Shortly after becoming National Security Advisor, Waltz would reverse his previous stance supporting a ban on TikTok in the United States.[69]
On January 28, 2025, Waltz held a meeting attended bySecretary of StateMarco Rubio andSecretary of DefensePete Hegseth to "discuss implementing President Trump's vision of securing the nation and prioritizing American interests on both domestic and international fronts."[70][71]
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On February 18, 2025, American and Russian delegations, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian foreign ministerSergey Lavrov, respectively, met inRiyadh,Saudi Arabia, in order to develop a framework for furtherpeace negotiations on the war in Ukraine. Rubio was accompanied by Michael Waltz and Special EnvoySteve Witkoff.[72]
In March 2025, Waltz confirmed onCNN'sState of the Union that the United States would continue offensive cyber operations against Russia.[73]
In March 2025, Waltz announced a visit to Greenland, which was criticized by Greenlandic leaders as an aggressive move amid ongoing tensions over U.S. interests in the territory.[74] The Greenland government has accused the United States of foreign interference in its affairs.[75]
In March 2025, Waltz inadvertently addedThe Atlantic editor-in-chiefJeffrey Goldberg to aSignal group discussing the upcoming US strikes on the YemeniHouthi militia before they were publicly known. The incident sparked national security concerns as Pentagon regulations specifically prohibit the use of Signal and similar messaging apps for sharingclassified information.[76][77]
In a 2017 interview withThe National Interest, Waltz described his views on Afghanistan as primarily oriented around ideological objectives, rather than material objectives. He assessed that Afghanistan could be won through slow cultural conversion by unconventional forces, described as "multiple generations of winning hearts and minds", and anticipated 100 years before such objectives could be achieved, saying:
We are in a war of ideas and we are fighting an ideology. It is easy to bomb a tank, but incredibly difficult to bomb an idea. We need a long-term strategy that discredits the ideology of Islamic extremism ... We are in a multi-decade war and we are only 15-years in.[78]
After telling an anecdote to the 2017Conservative Political Action Conference audience about his time serving in Afghanistan during the public announcement of theObama-era troop withdrawals, Waltz said of the war in Afghanistan, "So, are we 15 years in? Yes. Are we in for a lot more fighting, and do we need a long-term strategy to undermine the ideology of Islamic extremism—just like we did fascism and just like we did communism? Yes, we do. Uh, and you know, I think we're in for a long haul, and I think our nation's leadership needs to begin telling the American people, 'I'm sorry, we don't have a choice; we're 15 years into what is going to be a multi-generational war because we're talking about defeating an idea.' It's easy to bomb a tank; very difficult to defeat an idea, and that's exactly what we have to do."[79]
In August 2021, during the final stages of thesecond US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Waltz called on President Biden to reverse course on the war in Afghanistan, urging for the redeployment of special forces on the ground and the use of aerial bombardment of Taliban positions by the Air Force. In an op-ed for Fox News, he predicted that a return to Afghanistan was inevitable, and viewed withdrawal as a temporary act that would "decimate" local allies and civilians, saying "thousands will die".[80]
In 2024, Waltz published a video onX expressing support for Canadian opposition leaderPierre Poilievre, who he said was going to send Canadian prime ministerJustin Trudeau "packing in 2025 (finally) and start digging Canada out of the progressive mess it's in". He has frequently criticized Trudeau for not being sufficiently tough on China, criticizing Trudeau for abstaining on aParliament vote on declaring thepersecution of Uyghurs in China as a genocide, allowing the sale of a lithium mine to a Chinese-state owned entity and the pledging of Chinese donors to donate $1 million to thePierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, and warned aboutChinese government interference in Canadian elections.[81] When asked by Kristen Welker if Donald Trump is serious about annexing Canada, Waltz deflected: "I think the Canadian people would—many of them would—love to join the United States with no tariffs, with lower taxes."[82]
Waltz is considered one of Congress's most hawkish members with regard to China, saying, "We are in a Cold War with theChinese Communist Party."[83] In 2021, he was the first member of Congress to call for a full U.S. boycott of the2022 Winter Olympics inBeijing over what he described as the CCP'sgenocide and internment of Chinese Uyghur populations and the enslavement, forced labor, andinternment camps ofethnic minorities in China,[84][85] likening the 2022 Olympics to the1936 Summer Olympics held inNazi Germany.[86] In 2024, he called China an "existential threat to the US with the most rapid military build-up since the 1930s", and supported significant investments in the US Navy.[87] In a 2024The Economist op-ed written together withMatthew Kroenig, Waltz argued for winding down conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to free up military assets needed to confront China.[88]
While initially backingUkraine following the launch of theRussian invasion in February 2022, he indicated that his views have evolved to a less supportive position in 2024.[37] In 2024, he suggested that Trump could threaten to damage the Russian economy by lowering the price of oil and gas, using it as a leverage.[87] In an op-ed toThe Economist, Waltz said giving military aid to Ukraine indefinitely is a "recipe for failure", but that the US can "provide more weapons to Ukraine with fewer restrictions" if Russian presidentVladimir Putin refuses to engage in peace talks.[88] He repeatedly criticized the Biden administration's strategy in Ukraine as unclear and confusing, and expressed support for a negotiated settlement of the conflict.[89]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz | 32,833 | 42.4 | |
| Republican | John Ward | 23,543 | 30.4 | |
| Republican | Fred Costello | 21,023 | 27.2 | |
| Total votes | 77,399 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz | 187,891 | 56.3 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Soderberg | 145,758 | 43.7 | |
| Total votes | 333,649 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz (incumbent) | 265,393 | 60.6 | |
| Democratic | Clint Curtis | 172,305 | 39.4 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 158 | <0.1 | |
| Total votes | 437,856 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz (incumbent) | 226,548 | 75.3 | |
| Libertarian | Joe Hannoush | 74,207 | 24.7 | |
| Total votes | 300,755 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz (incumbent) | 65,234 | 82.0 | |
| Republican | John Grow | 14,280 | 19.0 | |
| Total votes | 79,514 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Waltz (incumbent) | 284,414 | 66.5 | |
| Democratic | James Stockton | 143,050 | 33.5 | |
| Total votes | 427,464 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Waltz has a teenage daughter. He is married toJulia Nesheiwat,[96] an Army veteran who served in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, most recently as Trump'shomeland security advisor. Waltz and Nesheiwat have a son together.[97] They live inSt. Johns County, Florida.
In 2014, his bookWarrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan was published.[98] In 2022, he wrote the bookDawn of the Brave, a colorful, animal-filled Christian children’s book about service.[99] In 2024, his bookHard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret was published.[1]
Waltz's awards and decorations include:
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| Combat Infantryman Badge | |||||||||||
| Bronze Star Medal withCombat "V" device and three bronzeoak leaf clusters | Meritorious Service Medal | ||||||||||
| Army Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Army Achievement Medal | Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal | |||||||||
| National Defense Service Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronzeservice stars | |||||||||
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device for mobilization and "3" Numeral Device indicating three mobilizations | Army Service Medal | |||||||||
| Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze service star | Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon | NATO Medal | |||||||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 6th congressional district 2019–2025 | Succeeded by Vacant |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | United States National Security Advisor 2025–present | Incumbent |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
