The United States Senate confirmed Mike Waltz as ambassador to the United Nations on Friday, thus completing President Donald Trump's last cabinet appointment.
The vote, which was delayed due to opposition from Democratic senators, was approved by 47 to 45, with bipartisan support. Three Democratic senators, John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), and Mark Kelly (Arizona), crossed party lines to support Waltz.
The only Republican who voted against was Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky), who had already opposed Waltz's advancement from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The confirmation ends an almost nine-month diplomatic vacancy during which the United States had no official representation at the UN, just as the organization prepares for its General Assembly in New York next week.
Waltz's appointment is particularly significant in a global context marked by ongoing conflicts, tensions with powers such as China and Russia, and an increasingly questioned role for the UN in resolving international conflicts.
Who is Mike Waltz
Mike Waltz is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret, and previously represented the state of Florida as a Republican member of the House of Representatives. Before his appointment as ambassador, he was President Trump's national security adviser.
However, his time on the National Security Council was marked by some turbulence: he left his post when the incident known as "Signalgate" occurred, when a journalist was added to a group chat that included senior officials such as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Vice President JD Vance. The chat addressed classified topics related to attacks in Yemen.
