The White House on Thursday gave Mike Waltz a choice in his next job, as President Trump strategized to move him out as national security adviser just over 100 days into his administration, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
In conversations with chief of staff Susie Wiles, Waltz was offered several ambassadorships, including that of ambassador to Saudi Arabia. After some consideration, Waltz chose the job of U.N. ambassador. Mr. Trump announced the change in a social media post several hours after news broke Thursday morning that Waltz would be departing his job.
Friday was scheduled to be Waltz’s final day at the White House, sources said, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio transitions into dual roles as interim national security adviser and America’s top diplomat. Rubio and Waltz met Thursday to start the hand-off.
Spokespeople for the National Security Council declined to comment.
A deputy to Waltz, Alex Wong, remains at the National Security Council. There were discussions Thursday in the West Wing about his departure, but Wong is aiding the transition, sources said.
Trump considers the Saudi Arabia post to be a consequential one, and has been selective about it, sources said. He has asked several people, including former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, about possible names.
It was unclear whether Mr. Trump would announce his choice for ambassador to the kingdom before he travels to the Middle East. He is also scheduled to stop in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE May 13-16.
In 2017, Mr. Trump chose Saudi Arabia to be his first foreign destination as president. The oil-rich kingdom is not only one of the top producers within OPEC — and therefore key to global economic dynamics — it is also the world’s biggest customer for U.S.-made weapons.
The president has set his sights on including Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords, which was his first-term signature series of bilateral diplomatic accords. The agreement normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. As president, Joe Biden also attempted to bring the Saudis into the fold in exchange for U.S. security guarantees and a civil nuclear program, but the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza complicated those efforts.
During Mr. Trump’s first term, retired Army General and CENTCOM commander John Abizaid served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has publicly called for a pathway to a future Palestinian state as part of any agreement. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and site of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Inclusion of Saudi Arabia would bring strategic and symbolic heft to Trump’s attempts to transform the Middle East.
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
