JUST IN: Fired Trump Administration Official Returns In New Role

A former advisor to President Donald Trump who was scapegoated during the Signalgate controversy notched his return on Friday with a historic confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate.

Mike Waltz, the former national security advisor who may have inadvertently invited a liberal reporter into a highly sensitive conversation among top administration officials, has returned as the latest foreign dignitary to represent Trump overseas. Since leaving the White House, aides to Trump have suggested that he would be rewarded with a consolation prize of sorts for maintaining his loyalty throughout the campaign and the first months of the president’s second term.

Unlike his international colleagues, however, Waltz will be elevated to the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, putting him in a central role to negotiate U.S. involvement in areas such as NATO, Europe’s response to Israel’s war with Hamas, and the continent’s continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Waltz, a former GOP congressman, easily cleared the majority threshold needed for his post on a mostly 47-43 party-line vote. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) were the only members of their party who voted yes. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the sole Republican to vote no.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) invoked a “nuclear” option this week, amending Senate rules to allow for a simple majority to seat many of President Trump’s nominees at once. Democrats had indicated they were willing to put up every hurdle possible to eat up weeks of floor time individually confirming each nominee.

Waltz, 51, saw his ambassadorship confirmed, along with 48 mid-level Trump nominees, on the first day of the new Senate rules, Politico reported.

“If the Senate had continued at the pace that we’ve been proceeding at through the month of July, there would still be hundreds of empty desks in the executive branch on President Trump’s last day in office in 2029,” Thune said Thursday.

Confirmation will allow Waltz to attend next week’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, where President Trump is expected to deliver remarks.

At his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this summer, Waltz emphasized his commitment to reviewing U.S. contributions to the U.N. and eliminating antisemitism from institutions.

He fills a seat first sought by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), whom Trump nominated before Stefanik returned to the House at the insistence of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).  Waltz will take over for Ambassador Dorothy Shea, who has been serving as acting ambassador for the past eight months, NBC News reported.