US Vice President Vance Describes Waltz’s Ouster as a 'Promotion'

US Vice-President J.D. Vance has defended the transition of Mike Waltz from his role as National Security Adviser (NSA) to that of US Ambassador to the United Nations, framing it as a "promotion" rather than a dismissal, as some media have portrayed.

Talking to Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview, Vance emphasized that Waltz was not being dismissed, but promoted to a new, Senate-confirmed role. "He wasn't dismissed. He's being named Ambassador to the United Nations, which, of course, is a Senate-confirmed position. I think you could make a fairly good argument that it's an advancement," Vance said. He added that the media was misconstruing what was happening by framing it as a dismissal, pointing out that former President Donald Trump typically doesn't assign big-ticket positions to people he's dismissed.

Vance also explained that Waltz's move is part of the overall strategy to make the National Security Council function, implying that Waltz's previous actions of firing disloyal employees helped bring the right team to assist the administration's goals. He ruled out the punishment to Waltz being in connection with his involvement in the Signal-gate scandal, in which US military campaign intelligence confirmed in Yemen leaked through a Signal chat group involving senior officials. Waltz had taken complete responsibility for the mishap, which the White House labeled as a "mistake," even though the administration stated it had not hurt Americans.

The Pentagon's inspector general is investigating the matter, and Waltz has been assailed by Democrats and Republicans. Nevertheless, Vance confirmed that Waltz remained supported by the administration.

Trump, in turn, praised Waltz for his service and announced he would nominate him as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations. Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating he had confidence that Waltz's experience in uniform, Congress, and as National Security Adviser would serve the nation well.

In the meantime, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has filled Waltz's position, a significant task considering the numerous foreign policy concerns facing the administration at present, such as ongoing negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict, Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities, and global economic issues that have been spurred by Trump's tariffs on trade.