Trump Makes Major Selections for Security, Foreign Policy Posts

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Facts

  • US Pres.-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) to be his national security advisor, an important role tasked with updating the president on national security concerns and coordinating with government agencies.[1][2]
  • Waltz, 50, served 27 years in the Army, including as a Green Beret and National Guard Colonel. After serving several tours in the Middle East and Africa, he was elected to Congress in 2018, where he's been a vocal critic of China.[3][4]
  • As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and China Task Force, Waltz has sought to limit the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. He's also been skeptical of giving more aid to Ukraine, stating that peace negotiations are 'perfectly reasonable.'[5][4]
  • For secretary of state, sources have indicated that Trump will pick Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is also seen as a foreign policy hawk on China and Iran and has called for the Ukraine war to 'be brought to a conclusion.'[6][7]
  • If confirmed, Rubio would become the nation's first Latino secretary of state, having been born to Cuban exiles. The Republican Jewish Coalition responded enthusiastically to the news, emphasizing Rubio's longstanding support for Israel.[8]
  • Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has reportedly been tapped to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She will oversee two other officials Trump has picked with hardline immigration views — Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy and Tom Homan as 'border czar.'[9][10]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]FOX News (a), [3]NPR Online News, [4]New York Post, [5]CBS, [6]BBC News, [7]Daily Wire, [8]FOX News (b), [9]CNN and [10]American Greatness.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by American Thinker and Daily Wire. Americans voted for Trump because they want their country to be strong at home and abroad, and Trump is acknowledging that mandate. With Rubio and Waltz protecting the US against China, and Stephen Miller and Tom Homan cracking down on Biden's open border, the country is massively upgrading its national security. Trump is putting America first across the board.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times and Huffington Post. Donald Trump wasn't lying when he promised to rule with force. He's appointed the most hardline officials to conduct deportation schemes and similarly hawkish politicians to run foreign relations. The US is about to lose any semblance of decency as Trump targets immigrants at home and the most vulnerable abroad.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Responsible Statecraft. If anyone expected Trump to keep war hawks and neocons out of his new government, they would be disappointed. With Mike Waltz as his national security advisor, Marco Rubio as secretary of state, and Elise Stefanik as UN Ambassador, Americans can expect the conflicts in the Middle East to continue over the next four years.

Predictions