Trump Nominates 'Hardliner on China' Walts as White House National Security Advisor

"Rubio, a 'Hawkish' Lawmaker, Nominated for Secretary of State"

President-elect Donald Trump officially nominated Mike Waltz, a hardliner on China and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida, as the next administration's White House National Security Advisor on the 12th (local time).

On the same day, Trump issued a statement saying, "Mike has been a strong advocate of the 'America First' foreign policy agenda and will be a tremendous advocate for pursuing 'peace through strength.'" He added, "Mike is a nationally recognized leader and bestselling author in the field of national security" and described him as "an expert on China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorist threats."

The National Security Advisor, the position Waltz will assume, is the top aide who assists the president in foreign and security affairs. It is one of the key posts that play a central role in national security policy decisions alongside the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). By nominating Waltz, who has shown a tough stance on China, as National Security Advisor, Trump is expected to further intensify the U.S.-China hegemonic competition. Before the U.S. presidential election, Waltz argued in an article for The Economist that the U.S. should end conflicts with Europe and the Middle East and confront the "greater threat" posed by China.

Born in Florida, Waltz earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Virginia Military Institute. He was commissioned as an Army second lieutenant and served a total of 27 years in the military, including as a member of the Army Special Forces (known as the Green Berets) and the National Guard. In 2019, he became the first Green Beret to enter the U.S. House of Representatives (from Florida). He was deployed to Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa, and received four Bronze Stars for his combat achievements. He has experience as a policy advisor at the White House and the Department of Defense, and in the House, he has utilized his expertise by serving on the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

President-elect Trump is also reported to have nominated Senator Marco Rubio as the next Secretary of State. Rubio, who comes from a Cuban immigrant family, is a hawk within the Republican Party who has called for a tough response to U.S. adversaries such as China and North Korea.