On July 16, 2025, President Trump nominated former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. In a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, July 15th, Waltz emphasized the need for the U.S., as the largest contributor to the UN, to lead reforms and stand up against China’s influence, aiming to “make the UN great again.”
Waltz expressed to the committee, “There should be a place in the world where China, Russia, Europe, and developing countries can come together to resolve conflicts. But after 80 years, the UN has strayed from its core mission of peace-building. We must go back to the UN Charter and its founding principles.”
“I am confident that we can make the UN great again,” he said.
A retired Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer and former Republican Congressman from Florida, Waltz is one of the last remaining key nominations of the Trump administration awaiting Senate confirmation. This hearing marked his first public appearance since stepping down as the National Security Advisor in May.
Throughout his remarks, Waltz reiterated the “America First” diplomatic philosophy, criticizing the current politicism and bloated structure of the UN, calling for a renewed focus on its core functions.
Waltz pointed out that the UN budget has “quadrupled in the past 20 years,” yet has not yielded proportionate results in promoting peace.
He emphasized, “The U.S. must ensure that every foreign aid and contribution to international organizations (especially the UN) directly align with America’s core national interests.”
Waltz repeatedly highlighted the growing influence of China at the UN, pledging to work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “counter and push back against China’s (CCP) influence” if confirmed.
He noted that China is increasing its infiltration into UN institutions, and the U.S. should leverage its position as the largest contributor to drive UN reforms.
The U.S. currently contributes 22% of the regular UN budget and 27% of the peacekeeping budget, making it the largest contributor globally, followed by China.
Waltz stated, “If you look back at when the UN truly reformed in the past, it was when the U.S. said, ‘You know what? We need to see concrete actions before taxpayers foot the bill.'”
“The UN currently has over 80 agencies, with overlapping missions wasting resources. If I am confirmed, I will push for reforms such as the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 reform plan, which calls for a 20% reduction in staff.”
He added that the Trump administration is planning to cut about $1 billion in funding to the UN as part of a budget rescission proposal aimed at reclaiming nearly $10 billion in federal budget funds.
Since the beginning of 2025, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for structural adjustments amid a financial crisis, gradually consolidating organizations and reducing duplicated functions.
Republican Senator Mike Lee stated in the hearing, “In my view, under Waltz’s leadership, the UN will have one last chance to prove its value to America. The Security Council should abandon progressive political gestures and return to its fundamental mission of arbitration and dispute resolution.”
During the hearing, Waltz criticized the “deep-rooted anti-Semitism” within the UN system, specifically naming the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He accused the agency of promoting anti-Jewish hatred in schools in Gaza and called for complete cessation of funding, transferring humanitarian tasks to other organizations.
According to information provided by Israel, in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, 19 UNRWA staff in Gaza were suspected of involvement in the attack. Following an internal UN investigation, UNRWA stated that nine of them had been dismissed.
Subsequently, the Israeli government provided the U.S. and the UN with an intelligence briefing indicating that around 190 local UNRWA staff had affiliations with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
UN Secretary-General Guterres has appointed a British human rights activist to conduct a review of UNRWA.
Prior to his nomination as the UN Ambassador, Waltz served as the White House National Security Advisor and faced strong criticism from the Democratic party over a controversy involving the messaging app Signal.
In March of this year, Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a private group discussing an airstrike plan against Houthi militants in Yemen using the Signal app.
On Tuesday, Democratic Senator Chris Coons remarked, “We all know that Signal is not the appropriate secure tool for handling highly sensitive information.”
Another Democratic Senator, Tim Kaine, criticized it as a “amateur move,” while Senator Cory Booker pointed out that Waltz failed to take responsibility for the mistake. He said, “I watched the entire hearing, and I must say I am disappointed. What is disconcerting is your unwillingness to step up and take responsibility for your errors.”
In response, Waltz emphasized that the group met government security standards, did not share any sensitive information, and stated that the military is still investigating the matter.
According to the latest public White House data, as of July 1st, Waltz still receives a salary of $195,200 as an advisor. Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen questioned, “You have repeatedly advocated for eliminating waste and redundancies in the UN, can you confirm whether you are still receiving a salary from the White House since stepping down as the National Security Advisor?”
Waltz denied being dismissed and stated that he continues to assist with the “transition of several important tasks” in his role as an advisor.