U.S. national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stand, as U.S. President Donald Trump meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Feb. 24, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Still, Waltz's nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. will likely attract support from establishment Republicans in the Senate who weren’t on board with Hegseth in the Pentagon, given that the ideological divide between these Republicans and Waltz is much smaller than it was in Hegseth’s case, according to one Florida GOP source.
"He's been able to thread the needle really, really well between traditional conservative foreign policy voices and the more populist America First policy voices," the Florida GOP source said of Waltz.
Waltz, who previously represented Florida’s 6th congressional district, is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan and earned four Bronze Stars — the fourth-highest military combat award, issued for heroic service against an armed enemy.
While Waltz and Hegseth both were embroiled in the Signal chat discussing strike plans against the Houthis, Hegseth has attracted more of the heat, at least publicly, stemming from the incident. Democrats have called for Hegseth’s resignation as a result of the chat, but staffers at the White House — including Waltz — have openly backed Hegseth and shut down reports that the administration is seeking his replacement.
But Waltz could get his turn attracting the ire of lawmakers as Democrats find an opportunity to openly grill him in front of the Senate, amid displeasure with Trump’s foreign policy and national security agenda.
"The second hundred days of national security under President Trump will apparently be just as chaotic as the first hundred," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement to Fox News Digital about Waltz’s departure from the White House.
"President Trump’s consistent hirings, firings and upheaval sap morale from our warfighters and intelligence officers, degrade our military readiness, and leave us less prepared to respond to threats from our adversaries," Coons said. "American citizens at home and around the world are less safe because of President Trump’s non-existent national security strategy."
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also took aim at Waltz — although she labeled Hegseth the worst offender affiliated with "Signalgate."
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., meets with Republican Sen. John Barasso of Wyoming. (Office of Rep. Elise Stefanik)
The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled for September 9, so there are a few months for Waltz’s confirmation to play out, the Florida GOP source said. That means that Waltz could take a few months off, start the confirmation process in June or July and wrap up his confirmation by September at the latest, the source said.
"He's got plenty of time. So, this isn't a looming fight that's going to happen next week," the Florida GOP source said. "This is going to play out probably in June or July, which by then, people are going to forget about the Signalgate stuff, or at the very, very least, they're going to forget about Mike Waltz's role in it."
But there are a few Republican wildcards in the Senate who have voted against several of Trump’s nominees, most prominently Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who voted against Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
Vice President JD Vance sits for an interview with Fox News' chief political anchor Bret Baier in South Carolina, where he addressed Waltz's nomination to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. (Fox News/Special Report)
"Great choices. America is safer and stronger under President Trump and his national security team," Risch said in a Thursday X post. "I thank Mike Waltz for his service as NSA, and look forward to taking up his nomination in our committee."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also posted on X on Friday that Waltz would be confirmed "for sure."
Vance also voiced support for Waltz and billed the nomination as a "promotion," pushing back on any suggestions that Waltz’s removal amounted to a firing.
"Donald Trump has fired a lot of people," Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier Thursday. "He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterward. What he thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration, most importantly, the American people in that role."
Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-signal-questions-dog-waltz-potentially-perilous-un-ambassador-confirmation-hearings-loom