Mike Waltz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Waltz
Waltz in 2025
29th United States National Security Advisor
In office January 20, 2025 – May 1, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Alex Wong
Preceded by	Jake Sullivan
Succeeded by	Marco Rubio (acting)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 6th district
In office January 3, 2019 – January 20, 2025
Preceded by	Ron DeSantis
Succeeded by	Randy Fine
Personal details
Born	Michael George Glen Waltz (1974-01-31) January 31, 1974 (age 51) Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Julia Nesheiwat ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	3
Education	Virginia Military Institute (BA)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1996–2000 (Active) 2000–2025 (Guard)
Rank	Colonel
Unit	U.S. Army Special Forces
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Bronze Star (4)

Michael George Glen Waltz (born January 31, 1974) is an American politician, businessman, author, and former Army Special Forces officer who served as the national security advisor to President Donald Trump from January to May 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. He was the first Army Special Forces soldier to be elected to Congress. Waltz received four Bronze Stars while serving in the Special Forces during multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. He served in the Bush administration as a defense policy director in the Pentagon and as counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney.

In 2018, Waltz was elected to the House of Representatives, defeating former ambassador Nancy Soderberg and succeeding Ron DeSantis, who was elected governor of Florida that same year. Waltz was re-elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024 with over 60% of the vote in each election. He was chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness for the 118th United States Congress. Waltz was considered one of Congress's most hawkish members with regard to China, believing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is in a cold war with the U.S.

In 2021, Waltz was the first member of Congress to call for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over what he described as the CCP's genocide and internment of Chinese Uyghur populations and the enslavement, forced labor, and internment camps of ethnic minorities in China. On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump announced he would appoint Waltz to serve as national security advisor in his second administration. Waltz resigned his House seat prior to taking office on January 20, 2025.

On May 1, 2025, it was reported that Waltz, along with Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong, would leave their posts following group chat leaks on messaging platform Signal. The same day, Trump announced via social media that he intended to nominate Waltz to serve as U.S. ambassador to the UN.

Early life and education

Waltz was born on January 31, 1974 to a single mother in Boynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville, where he graduated from Stanton College Preparatory School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from the Virginia Military Institute in 1996, graduating with honors as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Military career

Waltz was commissioned as an armor officer in the U.S. Army in 1996. He later graduated from Ranger School and graduated the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2000, then serving two years as an active duty Special Forces officer with multiple tours in the Middle East and Africa. For his actions in combat, Waltz was decorated with four Bronze Stars, including two for valor.

From 2002 to 2011 and 2016 to 2025, Waltz served in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces, MD-ARNG. From 2012 to 2015, he served in 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces, TX-ARNG.

Waltz worked in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for secretaries of defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He went on to serve in the White House as the vice president's counterterrorism advisor. Waltz wrote Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan.

In 2010, Waltz helped found the analytics and training company Metis Solutions. It was bought in November 2020 by Pacific Architects and Engineers for $92 million.

Upon becoming the national security advisor under President Donald Trump, Waltz retired from the Army reserve at the rank of colonel.

U.S. House of Representatives

Waltz's official portrait for the 116th Congress

Elections

2018

Waltz ran for Florida's 6th congressional district in 2018 to succeed incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis, who retired before being elected governor of Florida. He defeated John Ward and Fred Costello in the Republican primary before facing Democratic nominee Nancy Soderberg, a former representative at the United Nations and the former deputy national security advisor, in the general election. Waltz won with 56.31% of the vote to Soderberg's 43.69%.

2020

Waltz was challenged by Democratic nominee Clint Curtis. He received 265,393 votes (60.64%) to Curtis's 172,305 (39.36%).

Tenure

Waltz during the 117th Congress

Waltz was sworn in to the 116th United States Congress on January 3, 2019.

In April 2020, Waltz joined the National Guard's COVID-19 response efforts as a colonel on the planning staff. On November 6, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he tested positive for the virus.

In December 2020, Waltz was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state. Shortly thereafter, the Orlando Sentinel editorial board rescinded its endorsement of Waltz in the 2020 election. It wrote, "We had no idea, had no way of knowing at the time, that Waltz was not committed to democracy." Ultimately, Waltz voted to confirm the electoral victory of Joe Biden.

Along with all other Senate and House Republicans, Waltz voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

On May 19, 2021, Waltz voted against legislation to establish the formation of a January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

2024 presidential election

Waltz endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Waltz was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.

Committee assignments

Waltz with the Army Corps of Engineers discussing disaster relief

For the 118th Congress:

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
  • Subcommittee on Readiness (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability
• United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  • United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Subcommittee on Central Intelligence Agency
  • Subcommittee on National Security Agency and Cyber

Caucus memberships

Michael Waltz press conference on DOD medical malpractice

Waltz was a member of the following Congressional caucuses:

• Congressional Afghan Caucus
• American Flood Coalition
• Army Caucus
• Florida Ports Caucus
• For Country Caucus (vice chair and co-founder)
• Kurdish American Caucus
• Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus
• Republican Study Committee
• House Special Operations Forces (SOF) Caucus (co-chair)
• Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus
• Congressional Singapore Caucus
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus
• Republican Main Street Partnership
• Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Caucus
• Congressional Blockchain Caucus

National Security Advisor

Tenure

Waltz meeting with Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, January 28, 2025

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would appoint Waltz to serve as his national security advisor.

On January 20, 2025, Waltz tendered his resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives in order to take up his appointment with the Trump administration. He would assume office the same day. Shortly after becoming National Security Advisor, Waltz would reverse his previous stance supporting a ban on TikTok in the United States.

On January 28, 2025, Waltz held a meeting attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to "discuss implementing President Trump's vision of securing the nation and prioritizing American interests on both domestic and international fronts."

U.S., Saudi, and Russian officials meeting in Riyadh, February 18, 2025

On February 18, 2025, American and Russian delegations, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rubio was accompanied by Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

In March 2025, Waltz announced a visit to Greenland, which was criticized by Greenlandic leaders as an aggressive move amid ongoing tensions over U.S. interests in the territory. The Greenland government has accused the United States of foreign interference in its affairs.

On May 1, 2025, it was reported that Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Nelson Wong, would leave their respective posts. Waltz was announced as the nominee for United States Ambassador to the United Nations on the same day.

Political positions

Waltz is considered one of Congress's most hawkish members with regard to China, saying, "We are in a Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party." In 2024, he called China an "existential threat to the US with the most rapid military build-up since the 1930s", and supported significant investments in the US Navy.

Electoral history

Personal life

Waltz has a teenage daughter (not from Nesheiwat). He is married to Julia Nesheiwat, an Army veteran who served in the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, most recently as Trump's homeland security advisor. Waltz and Nesheiwat have a son together. They live in St. Johns County, Florida.

Books

In 2014, his book Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan was published. In 2022, he wrote the book Dawn of the Brave, a colorful, animal-filled Christian children's book about service. In 2024, his book Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret was published.

Awards and decorations

Waltz's awards and decorations include:

See also

In Spanish: Michael Waltz para niños