A reporter was the one to inform a State Department spokesperson during a briefing Thursday that President Trump had tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take on a new role.
The journalist shared Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that he was nominating national security adviser Mike Waltz to be United Nations ambassador and putting Rubio into the adviser position on an interim basis, alongside his State Department work.
“It is clear that I just heard this from you,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded, when asked how long Rubio would serve in the positions.
“The magic — well, I have some insights as to the potential of certain things that might happen,” Bruce said. “You don’t want to get ahead of your skis in drawing conclusions or speculating about what may occur. And you can have a general sense of what’s possible, and then you see that manifest usually. But I think the one thing, certainly, that I’ve learned, is that things don’t happen until the president says they’re going to happen.”
Trump’s announcement, coming just after the White House celebrated his 100-day milestone, is the first major shake-up of his second administration.
The change comes after Waltz was embroiled in controversy involving a Signal chat in which top national security and defense officials talked about a military strike in Yemen. Waltz is reported to be the person who inadvertently invited Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, to the chat.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department,” Trump added.
Bruce on Thursday lauded “the miracle of modern technology and social media” that Trump’s Truth Social could convey the news during the briefing. She also said Rubio “has worn several hats” during his work leading the State Department, and expressed confidence in his ability to take on the new responsibilities.
Waltz will need Senate confirmation for the U.N. role, for which Trump had initially tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). The president pulled her nomination because of her critical vote in the GOP’s slim House majority.
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