United States National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz has chosen to leave his post in favor of becoming the country’s ambassador to the United Nations. According to reports, Waltz was offered multiple roles before making his decision, including a potential appointment as the U.S. envoy to Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, he accepted the ambassadorship to the UN.

The leadership transition is set to take place immediately, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepping in as acting National Security Advisor. Friday marks Waltz’s final day in his current role, initiating a shift in national security leadership during a sensitive period for U.S. foreign policy.

Sources indicated that the transition comes on the heels of an internal communications controversy, in which Waltz reportedly added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a secure Signal chat used by U.S. security officials for confidential military discussions. This action raised questions about the breach of protocol within top security circles.

Despite the stir caused by the Signal chat incident, Vice President JD Vance asserted that Waltz’s departure was not a dismissal. “Mike Waltz was not fired,” Vance emphasized, noting that the transition to a new role was part of a broader personnel realignment rather than a disciplinary action. He reiterated that the decision was unrelated to the Goldberg chat and characterized the shift as a routine reassignment.

As Waltz moves to the United Nations and Rubio temporarily fills the NSA role, attention will now turn to how the interim leadership manages ongoing security challenges and the eventual appointment of a permanent successor. The developments underscore a moment of recalibration in the U.S. national security apparatus under President Donald Trump’s administration.