Trump taps Waltz as security chief; Huckabee to Israel

Mike Waltz, a congressman from Florida and the first "Green Beret" in Congress, will play a crucial role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. Trump emphasized in a statement that Waltz will be "a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!"

Waltz is a retired colonel from the U.S. Army Special Forces and has represented Florida in Congress since 2018. He is an expert on threats from China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism. He serves on the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Intelligence Committees in the House of Representatives.

During the election campaign, he was one of Trump's central defenders and supporters on national security issues, frequently appearing on TV programs. As the National Security Advisor, he will assume one of the most critical roles in the White House, being a key official responsible for U.S. foreign policy alongside the Secretary of State.

The politician is seen as a "hawk" in relations with Russia, China, and Iran. Although he voted against a U.S. aid package for Ukraine last year—despite supporting previous assistance—in a recent interview with NPR radio, he argued that Trump could encourage Vladimir Putin to negotiate by imposing sanctions on Russian oil and lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons.

"Russia is essentially a gas station with nukes," he stated. "Putin is selling more oil and gas now than he did prewar through China and Russia. And you couple that with unleashing our energy, lifting our LNG ban, and his economy and his war machine will dry up very quickly," the politician said before the elections. He also promised to impose sanctions on Chinese companies buying Russian oil.

Waltz praised Trump's approach to NATO, supporting his demands for increased defence spending by European countries. "The United States needs to make clear it is time for our allies to invest in their own security. Military alliances are built on trust and reciprocity. Highlighting the lack of investments from our allies isn’t provocative, it allows us to fight for the American taxpayers who have been footing the bill for far too long," wrote the congressman before the NATO summit in Washington.

Mike Waltz is the second active congressman called to serve in the new administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Tuesday that he does not expect further nominations of congressmen due to the narrow Republican majority in the House.

In Tuesday's statement, Donald Trump also announced that former Arkansas Governor and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will be the new U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Huckabee is a former governor of Arkansas who twice unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in the presidential elections, including as a rival to Trump in 2016. He previously hosted a talk show on Fox News. He is a pastor in the Southern Baptist Church and is known for his strong pro-Israel views.

Huckabee's daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was the White House Press Secretary in Trump's first administration and is currently the governor of Arkansas.

During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in the Middle East quickly, although he also called on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "finish the job" of eliminating Hamas in the Gaza Strip.