Mike Waltz: what we know about Donald Trump’s new national security adviser
12 November 12:01
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Republican Representative Mike Waltz as his national security adviser. Komersant ukrainskyi found out who this man is.
Michael George Glenn Waltz was born on January 31, 1974 in Boynton Beach, Florida, USA. He is a member of the Republican Party. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Virginia Military Institute. He is married to Julia Neshevath, with whom he has three children. He resides in St. Johns County, Florida.
Military service and awards
Waltz is a colonel in the United States Army. After attaining the rank of second lieutenant, he graduated from Ranger School and was selected for the U.S. Special Operations Forces, known as the Green Berets. He served in many hot spots, including Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. For his services, he received four bronze stars, two of which were for heroism. He was the first Green Beret to be elected to the U.S. Congress.
Political career
In 2018, Waltz was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 6th District, replacing Ron DeSantis, who became governor of Florida. Waltz holds this position to this day.
Committees and groups
Waltz is a member of several important committees, including the Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also participates in numerous inter-ministerial groups, such as the Congressional Afghanistan Task Force, the Special Operations Caucus, and the Women, Peace, and Security Caucus.
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Political views and positions
Afghanistan
Waltz has always supported a long-term US military presence in Afghanistan, believing that the country needs a strategy to fight Islamic extremism. In his view, this struggle is a long-term one, similar to the Cold War against communism.
China
Waltz is one of the most vocal hawks in Congress on China. In particular, he has stated that the United States is in a “cold war” with the Communist Party of China and called for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics because of the persecution of Uighurs.
Russia and Ukraine
After the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Waltz initially supported Ukraine, but in 2024 he took a more cautious stance and voted against several bills supporting Ukraine. He supports further support for Ukraine, but emphasizes the need to control the spending of American taxpayer funds.
Legislative initiatives
Waltz’s initiatives include supporting bills to reduce US dependence on Chinese mineral resources, strengthening control over foreign research funding at US universities, and preventing the federal pension fund from investing in Russian and Chinese markets.
