Former national security adviser Mike Waltz faced a tense confirmation hearing on Tuesday to become US ambassador to the United Nations, with Democratic senators pressing him over his role in the Signal chat controversy that led to his dismissal in May.
Waltz told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he aimed to make the UN “great again,” arguing the organisation had “drifted from its core mission of peacemaking.” He was ousted as national security adviser after mistakenly adding a journalist to a private Signal chat used to discuss plans for strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware expressed disappointment that Waltz had not shown regret, stating Signal was “not an appropriate and secure means of communicating highly sensitive information.” Waltz defended the chat, saying it met the administration’s cybersecurity standards and that “no classified information was shared.”
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey accused Waltz of lying about how the journalist was added to the chat. Waltz has previously taken responsibility for the incident, though the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, also faced criticism for sharing sensitive plans in another Signal chat. President Trump has made clear he supports Hegseth.
The UN post is the last to be filled in Trump’s cabinet after months of delay, including the withdrawal of the previous nominee, Elise Stefanik. If confirmed, Waltz would arrive at a time of great change, with the UN reeling from Trump’s decisions to slash foreign assistance and anticipate cuts to the UN budget. Waltz insisted the US remains “the most generous nation in the world.”
