US President Donald Trump has fired his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his interim replacement, the first change in Trump's inner circle since he took office in January.
Trump wrote on social media that he would nominate Walz to the post of US ambassador to the United Nations, adding that "he has worked hard to put the interests of our country first."
Secretary Rubio is the first person to hold two positions since Henry Kissinger, who in the 1970s simultaneously held the positions of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor.
"When I have a problem, I call Marco. He solves the problem," Trump said at the White House on Thursday.
Waltz's departure had been rumored for weeks, ever since he created a group on Signal and mistakenly added a journalist to it, where top US security officials share sensitive military plans. The editor of The Atlantic magazine later reported on the discussions that had taken place in the group, describing the details of a US strike in Yemen.
The position of national security adviser is a position that does not require confirmation by the US Senate. During Trump's first presidential term, he had four national security advisers: Michael Flynn, HR McMaster, John Bolton, and Robert O'Brien.
Waltz's departure comes amid a shakeup within the US national security team. Since April 1, at least 20 members of the US National Security Council (NSC) staff have left their jobs, the director of the National Security Agency has left, and three political appointees at the Pentagon have been removed.
The NSC is the main institution that presidents use to coordinate security strategy, and the council's staff typically makes important decisions regarding the US approach to conflicts around the world. REL (A2 Televizion)
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