Daijiworld Media Network- Washington
Washington, May 2: Amid swirling controversy over the abrupt ouster of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, US Vice-President J.D. Vance has attempted to reframe the narrative, asserting that Waltz's nomination as US Ambassador to the United Nations is in fact a "promotion," not a dismissal.
“He wasn't let go,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier during an interview from Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday. “He is 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.”
Vance accused the media of deliberately spinning Waltz’s reassignment as a firing. “Donald Trump has fired a lot of people. He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards,” he quipped, adding, “Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration – most importantly, the American people – in that role.”
Waltz’s sudden departure comes as the Trump administration grapples with fallout from Signal-gate — a digital scandal in which the former NSA was accused of compromising internal security by adding the editor of The Atlantic magazine to a private Signal chat among top officials discussing sensitive military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Vance dismissed any direct link between Waltz’s exit and Signal-gate. “No, it’s not,” he said when asked if the move was tied to the chat controversy. He claimed Waltz had already fulfilled a vital role by “cleaning house” at the National Security Council and aligning it with the President’s strategic vision.
The Pentagon’s Inspector General is currently investigating the use of Signal for sensitive communication, and Waltz has faced bipartisan criticism over the breach. Although Waltz took full responsibility, the White House downplayed the incident as a “mistake” that caused “no harm” to national security.
Meanwhile, Trump confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily assume Waltz’s NSA responsibilities. Rubio now faces a double burden — managing the State Department while handling escalating crises including the Ukraine war, Iran nuclear talks, and a brewing global economic standoff following Trump’s trade provocations.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising Waltz for his military and congressional service.
Vance also affirmed that the administration will “fight for all our nominees” when asked whether Trump intends to push Waltz’s confirmation through the Senate, despite mounting political scrutiny.