Hardliner Waltz will probably be Trump’s security advisor

“The era of blank checks is over”

Hardliner Waltz will probably be Trump’s security advisor

The National Security Advisor in the White House is a key job for US foreign policy. Donald Trump chose a representative who is known for his tough stance.

Donald Trump wants to fill the important post of national security advisor with Republican MP Mike Waltz. Several US media outlets reported this unanimously on Monday evening (local time). Waltz is known as an advocate of a tough line towards China and called for a rethink on US support for Ukraine in Russia’s war of aggression.

Trump offered him the post in the White House, the Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Reuters news agency reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Security adviser is a key foreign policy position that is filled without Senate approval. In his first term, Trump had four national security advisers.

Waltz, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida, has been a supporter of the president-elect for years. The Republican has repeatedly condemned China’s activities in the Asia-Pacific region and said the U.S. must be prepared for a possible conflict in the region.

Last year, in an opinion piece on Fox News, he wrote about the Republican majority in the House of Representatives: “The era of blank checks for Ukraine from Congress is over.”

Among other things, he argued that European countries had to make an even greater contribution. At the same time, he said that the USA had the leverage against Russia to lift restrictions on the use of American weapons supplied to Ukraine.

Trump is also said to want to nominate US Senator Marco Rubio from Florida as the new Secretary of State, as Reuters reports. Rubio would be the first Latino minister in this office. With his decidedly tough stance on countries like China, Iran and Cuba, Rubio is considered the toughest option on Trump’s list of possible candidates. Among other things, the former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, was considered a possible next foreign minister.

In an interview in September, Rubio advocated working toward a negotiated solution to the Ukraine war.

Rubio’s election also has domestic political significance. According to Reuters, Trump secured the support of many Latino voters in the election campaign who had traditionally voted Democratic. With Rubio’s appointment, Trump is sending a signal that Latinos will be represented at the highest levels of his administration.