Mike Waltz, India Caucus Head and China Hawk, Named Trump’s National Security Advisor

Mike Waltz

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has been appointed, said sources close to the matter on Monday. The announcement confirms that Mike Waltz, a representative congressman for Florida, has been selected as the new appointee to the position by President-elect Donald Trump. He is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and an ardent critic of China. He is known for his aggressive stances on national security issues, particularly concerning US relations with India and China.

Background and Role in US-India Relations

Waltz leads the India Caucus in the Congress while an ardent proponent of increasing defense and security cooperation between the US and India. He has made several tours in Afghanistan and the Middle East where he received the Bronze Star and currently serves as an advisor on Afghanistan policy to the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. Waltz has also said that the withdrawal under Biden was wrong, citing that in all the chaos at the end, military equipment was left to the Taliban.

Strong Trump Supporter and Controversial Views

A strong Trump supporter, Waltz has been among the Republicans campaigning to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election. He also seems to be on the same page with his criticism that the “woke” military was more focused on matters of diversity and inclusion than doing its actual job. The confirmation is just another indication of his close relationship with Trump, who keeps looking for people to share his perception on national security and defense issues.

Chinese Practices Criticism and Advocating Boycotts

Waltz has been vociferously critical of China, especially its economic practices, namely intellectual property theft, unfair trade, and the role played by China in the US supply chain. He argued to make US less dependent on Chinese manufacturing and secure American technology. Waltz also supported a US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as a protest against China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims and over reported Chinese “involvement” in the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.

National Security Challenges Under Waltz’s Leadership

As NSA, Waltz will face very broad national security challenges, mainly on US foreign policy. The war that continues in Ukraine and the one in the Middle East are plausibly going to be principal concerns, and not least of them, the formation of the alliance between Russia and North Korea that has sounded the alarm bell in Washington. Waltz must accordingly navigate all those challenges in this new position for himself.

Political Dynamics and Implications

Waltz’s appointment arrives at a time when the fears on Capitol Hill are growing that Trump may make questionable choices for key government jobs. The likelihood of appointees from the House being having to trigger new elections to fill their places may cause the political terrain to become even more unsettled as Trump enters the presidential term.

Waltz’s hard stand about national security issues, China and his close relationship with Trump have underpinned a very significant position for himself in the new ex-president plan of changing the US foreign policy norms.

anirudh