The post of United Nations ambassador isn’t a Cabinet position, according to sources familiar with the matter, as President Trump signals the decreased importance of the U.N. to his administration.
When former Rep. Mike Waltz was confirmed by the U.S. Senate earlier this month, news outlets reported that the vote filled the final vacancy in Mr. Trump’s Cabinet, which buoyed Waltz’s status with protocol-oriented foreign officials. But the decision has been made to not elevate the role to that Cabinet rank, the sources said.
The Cabinet designation of the U.N. ambassador has seesawed over the years.
The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9.
Mr. Trump has been critical of the United Nations for months. He leveled accusations of “sabotage” after he experienced technical issues with an escalator and teleprompter during his visit to U.N. headquarters, and he framed the two mishaps as metaphors for what he views as the incompetence of the United Nations — which he said offers little more than “empty words.”
Waltz has been well received by officials at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and by international officials, both administration and foreign sources said. Inside the White House, he’s viewed as someone who can deliver the administration’s message and help make changes Mr. Trump wants. He is in good standing with Mr. Trump, two of the sources said.
“As President Trump stressed during his historic remarks, the UN has failed to live up to its full potential,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told CBS News. “Ambassador Waltz will represent the United States well, and he will focus on advancing our nation’s interests on the world stage.”
After Waltz left his post as White House national security adviser in May, Mr. Trump opted not to name a replacement and instead asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to add the role to his portfolio. Mr. Trump has said in recent months that he didn’t care for any of his past national security advisers, and is pleased with the arrangement with Rubio, sources said.
Non-cabinet status means less time with the president, and that Waltz will likely have to run major decisions through Rubio, who oversees all U.S. ambassadors.
During Mr. Trump’s first administration, Nikki Haley pushed to be a Cabinet member as U.N. ambassador. Her successor, Kelly Craft, was not. Linda Thomas-Greenfield was in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.
When Mr. Trump announced GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination in November, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that he was honored that she would “serve in my Cabinet.” Mr. Trump withdrew her nomination in March.
Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama authorized the U.N. ambassador to be part of their Cabinet; George W. Bush chose not to.
Mr. Trump has slashed $1 billion in U.S. funding for the U.N. through congressional rescission and announced the U.S.’s withdrawal from several of its bodies, including the Human Rights Council, UNESCO and World Health Organization.
In his address to the U.N. General Assembly last month, Mr. Trump openly questioned the world body’s role and efficacy. “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he said. “It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”
“For the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly-worded letter and then never follow that letter up,” Mr. Trump continued. “It’s empty words – and empty words don’t solve war.”
Waltz in a recent interview told Fox News that his “priorities will be the president’s priorities and Secretary Rubio’s priorities, but this is a place where we have countries that have presence here at the U.N. that don’t even in Washington, D.C.”
In August, Mr. Trump announced on Truth Social that he was nominating then-State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce to serve as U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations with the rank of ambassador. Bruce has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Waltz was confirmed on Sept. 19 with a 47-45 vote, just days before Mr. Trump was to speak at the U.N. General Assembly, Sen. Rand Paul cast the sole Republican vote against Waltz’s confirmation; Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, John Fetterman and Mark Kelly voted in favor.
Waltz, as national security adviser, came under scrutiny in March when he mistakenly included a journalist in a Signal chat in which Trump officials discussed private plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Olivia Gazis
contributed to this report.
