Michael Waltz: From Green Beret to National Security Advisor and Beyond

Michael George Glen Waltz has led a multifaceted career, transitioning from military service and defense policy to the halls of Congress and eventually into high-level advisory roles. His journey is marked by both significant achievements and notable controversies.

Early Life and Education

Born on January 31, 1974, in Boynton Beach, Florida, Michael Waltz spent his formative years in Jacksonville. Raised by a single mother, he comes from a family with a strong Navy tradition, as both his father and grandfather were Navy chief petty officers. In 1996, Waltz graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) with a B.A. in international studies, laying the foundation for his future endeavors.

Military Career

Waltz's career in the military spans almost 27 years, during which he served in the Army and the Maryland Army National Guard. He joined the elite special force Green Berets and was deployed to Afghanistan and Africa. His service earned him four Bronze Stars, two of which were for courage in battle. Waltz retired as a lieutenant colonel.

His military experience is detailed in his book, Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan, published in 2014.

Transition to Civilian Life and Defense Policy

After retiring from active military service, Waltz continued to work in the national security arena as a civilian. During the administration of President George W. Bush, he served as a policy director for defense secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He also worked as a counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney.

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In 2010, Waltz co-founded Metis Solutions, a defense contracting company specializing in analytics and training.

Entry into Politics: The House of Representatives

In 2018, Waltz entered the political arena, running for Congress in Florida’s 6th congressional district. He ran to succeed Republican Ron DeSantis, who was campaigning for Florida governor. Waltz won the election, defeating Democrat Nancy Soderberg with 56 percent of the vote. This victory made him the first Green Beret elected to Congress.

Waltz secured re-election in 2020, 2022, and 2024, demonstrating his strong support in the district. In his last election, he garnered more than 66 percent of the vote against Democrat James Stockton. He served as the representative for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025.

Key Legislative Actions and Positions

During his time in the House of Representatives, Waltz established a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, advocating for a robust military presence and the assertive use of force when necessary. He often spoke out on issues related to national security, particularly concerning China, Russia, and the Middle East.

China: Waltz frequently voiced concerns about China's growing influence and labeled the country an "existential threat" to the United States. He supported efforts to shift the supply chain from China back to America and introduced legislation to protect American universities from Chinese espionage. He also sponsored legislation to prevent the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) from investing in Chinese and Russian markets.

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Ukraine: Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Waltz criticized the Biden administration for not providing sufficient lethal aid to Ukraine earlier in the conflict.

Middle East: Waltz is a staunch supporter of Israel.

Other notable actions: Waltz was one of 126 Republican members of the House to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election. He ultimately voted to confirm the electoral victory of Joe Biden. In October 2023, Waltz co-signed a letter opposing the inclusion of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act in the 2023 farm bill.

Committee Assignments and Caucuses

Waltz served on several committees and participated in various caucuses, including:

House Armed Services Committee (Chair of the Subcommittee on Readiness for the 118th Congress)
House China Task Force
Army Caucus
Florida Ports Caucus
For Country Caucus
US Kurdish-American Caucus
Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus
Republican Study Committee
House Special Operations Forces (SOF) Caucus
US Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus
Congressional Singapore Caucus
House Taiwan Caucus
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Women, Peace and Security Congressional Caucus
Congressional Blockchain Caucus

National Security Advisor and Transition to the UN

In November 2024, President Donald Trump selected Waltz to serve as his national security advisor. However, his tenure was short-lived and marked by controversy.

"Signalgate" and Departure from the White House

Waltz's time as national security advisor was cut short due to a scandal known as "Signalgate." In March 2025, he accidentally added the editor of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Cabinet-level group chat on the messaging app Signal. The chat contained classified military plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen. The use of Signal, which is generally not authorized for high-level government communication, raised national security concerns.

While Trump initially defended Waltz, he announced in May 2025 that he was nominating Waltz as ambassador to the United Nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would serve as interim national security advisor while remaining head of the State Department.

Waltz served as NSA for 101 days.

UN Ambassador

On January 15, 2026, Waltz addressed the UN Security Council to express his strong support for the demonstrators involved in the 2025-2026 Iranian protests.

Personal Life

Waltz is married to Julia Nesheiwat, an Army veteran who served in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. They have a son named Armand. Waltz also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Views on Foreign Policy

Waltz's views on foreign policy are generally considered hawkish. He has advocated for a strong military presence and the assertive use of force when necessary. In a 2017 interview, he described his views on Afghanistan as primarily oriented around ideological objectives, emphasizing the need for a long-term strategy to discredit Islamic extremism.

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