Who Is Mike Waltz? Trump's National Security Adviser Is India Caucus Head, China Hardliner

Mike Waltz’s ideas on defence and security have many times aligned with those of Trump’s foreign policy priorities.

Picture source: X/@michaelgwaltz

US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced Mike Waltz, who is the co-chair of the India Caucus, as his new National Security Adviser (NSA), reported Associated Press, citing sources familiar with the development. During his tenure as co-chair of the India Caucus in the House, he advocated for advancing US defence and security cooperation with India. 

Who Is New US National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz? 

Mike Waltz, 50, is a retired Army colonel and former Green Beret. He was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and raised by a single mother in Jacksonville, Florida. Waltz's father and grandfather both served as Navy Chiefs. 

1. Serving in the US House of Representatives since 2019, he has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy. This term, he holds positions on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence Committees. 

2. Waltz’s ideas on defence and security have many times aligned with those of Trump’s foreign policy priorities. On the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, he had urged Europe to increase its aid for Ukraine and called on the US to strengthen its backing. He has also strongly criticised the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

3. He has commended Trump for urging NATO allies to increase defence spending, but unlike the President-elect, he has not called for the US to withdraw from the alliance. "Look, we can be allies and friends and have tough conversations," Waltz said last month, reported IANS.

4. Mike Waltz has been a strong critic of China’s alleged economic practices, including intellectual property theft, unfair trade, and exploiting US supply chains. He advocates for reducing reliance on Chinese manufacturing and securing American technology. Waltz also serves on the Republican China Task Force, where he argues that the US military remains underprepared for potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

5. He serves as co-chair of the India Caucus in the House, the largest congressional group focused on a single country in the US Congress.

6. Waltz has expressed his willingness to serve in the administration and was seen as a potential candidate to lead the Pentagon. The National Security Adviser role, however, does not require Senate confirmation.