Mike Waltz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Waltz
Waltz in 2025
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Nominee
Assuming office TBD
President	Donald Trump
Succeeding	Linda Thomas-Greenfield
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	2
Education	Virginia Military Institute (BA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1996–2000 (Active) 2000–2023 (Guard)
Rank	Colonel
Unit	U.S. Army Special Forces
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Bronze Star (4)

Michael "Mike" George Glen Waltz (born January 31, 1974) is an American politician, author, and former U.S. Army officer. He is a member of the Republican Party. President Donald Trump has nominated him to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations.

Waltz was the first Green Beret elected to the U.S. Congress. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. During his time in the Army, he served multiple tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. He earned four Bronze Star medals for his service.

Before Congress, Waltz worked as a defense policy director at the Pentagon for the Bush administration. He was also a counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney.

In November 2024, President-elect Trump chose Waltz to be his national security advisor. He served in this role from January to May 2025. After leaving that position, Trump announced he would nominate Waltz to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Early Life and School

Mike Waltz was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, on January 31, 1974. He grew up in Jacksonville and went to Stanton College Preparatory School.

In 1996, he graduated with honors from the Virginia Military Institute. He earned a degree in international studies.

Military Service

Waltz retiring from the U.S. Army in 2023.

Waltz joined the U.S. Army in 1996. He completed tough training to become an Army Ranger and a Green Beret in the Special Forces. As a Special Forces officer, he went on many missions to the Middle East and Africa. For his bravery in combat, he received four Bronze Stars.

After active duty, Waltz continued to serve in the Army National Guard until 2023. He retired with the rank of colonel.

Waltz also worked at the Pentagon, helping to guide defense policy for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He also advised Vice President Dick Cheney on fighting terrorism. In 2010, he co-founded a company called Metis Solutions, which provided training and analysis services.

U.S. House of Representatives

Waltz's official portrait for the 116th Congress.

Waltz was elected to Congress in 2018 to represent Florida's 6th district. He took the seat of Ron DeSantis, who was elected governor of Florida. Waltz won his elections in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 by large margins.

Time in Congress

Waltz during a China Task Force meeting.

Waltz was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he joined the National Guard's efforts to help with the crisis.

In December 2020, Waltz was one of many Republicans who supported a lawsuit that challenged the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court did not hear the case. Despite this, Waltz later voted to confirm Joe Biden's victory.

Waltz was known for his strong views on China. He believed the U.S. was in a "cold war" with the Chinese Communist Party. In 2021, he was the first member of Congress to ask for a full U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He did this to protest China's treatment of the Uyghur people.

On July 29, 2024, Waltz was chosen to be part of a special group investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Key Committees

For the 118th Congress, Waltz served on several important committees:

• Committee on Armed Services
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Committee on Oversight and Accountability
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

National Security Advisor

Waltz meeting with Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth in January 2025.

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump announced he would appoint Waltz as his national security advisor. Waltz resigned from Congress and began the new job on January 20, 2025.

As National Security Advisor, Waltz met with other leaders to discuss how to keep the nation safe. In February 2025, he traveled to Saudi Arabia with Secretary of State Marco Rubio for talks about the war in Ukraine.

Signal App Leak

In March 2025, it was reported that Waltz had accidentally added a journalist to a private group chat on the messaging app Signal. In the chat, government officials were discussing secret military plans in Yemen.

Using a non-government app like Signal for official business raised security concerns. It also raised questions about whether the conversations were being saved as required by law. Waltz took responsibility for the mistake.

Change of Roles

On May 1, 2025, the White House announced that Waltz and his deputy would be leaving their jobs. On the same day, President Trump said he planned to nominate Waltz for the role of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Reports suggested that disagreements over foreign policy may have led to the change. For example, it was reported that Waltz had discussed a possible military strike on Iran with Israel's prime minister without President Trump's approval.

Political Views

Waltz with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.

War in Afghanistan

Waltz believed that winning in Afghanistan required a long-term effort to change hearts and minds. He thought it would take many decades. In 2021, when U.S. troops were leaving Afghanistan, he argued against the withdrawal. He said it would be harmful to local allies and that U.S. forces would eventually have to return.

China

Waltz is known as a "hawk" on China, meaning he supports a very tough policy. He has called China a major threat to the United States. He pushed for the U.S. to be less dependent on China for important minerals and to protect American universities from spying.

Russia and Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Waltz supported helping Ukraine. By 2024, his views had shifted. He began to criticize the U.S. strategy and called for a negotiated end to the war. He voted against several bills to send more aid to Ukraine.

Personal Life

Waltz is married to Julia Nesheiwat, who is also an Army veteran. She served as homeland security advisor for President Trump. They have one son together. Waltz also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Books

Waltz has written three books:

• Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan (2014)
• Dawn of the Brave (2022), a Christian children's book about service.
• Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret (2024)

Images for kids

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

• 

  Waltz with the Army Corps of Engineers discussing disaster relief.

• 

  Michael Waltz at a press conference.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Michael Waltz para niños