After months of political wrangling and a vacancy that left the United States without a permanent representative at the United Nations for most of 2025, the Senate on Friday confirmed Michael Waltz as the nation’s ambassador to the U.N. The 47-43 vote, held on September 19, came just days before world leaders were set to converge on New York for the 80th U.N. General Assembly—an event that often places America’s diplomatic priorities in the global spotlight.
The confirmation ended an eight-month stretch in which the U.S. seat at the U.N. had been filled only in an acting capacity by career diplomat Dorothy Shea. President Donald Trump’s initial nominee, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, was withdrawn in March, as Republicans worried that losing her in the House would jeopardize their already razor-thin majority. The resulting delay raised concerns among allies and adversaries alike, particularly as international crises in Ukraine and Gaza continued to escalate.
Waltz’s path to the ambassador post was anything but smooth. A former Green Beret, Republican congressman from Florida, and national security adviser to Trump, he was nominated in May 2025 after being ousted from his White House post. The reason: a highly publicized blunder in which Waltz inadvertently added The Atlantic’s editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a private Signal chat with top administration officials. The group was discussing sensitive details of a planned military strike in Yemen. The episode, which Waltz later described as an honest mistake for which he took “full responsibility,” prompted a media firestorm and led to his removal as national security adviser. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat, and the scandal ultimately did not derail his nomination.
Despite the controversy, Waltz’s confirmation was buoyed by a handful of Democrats crossing the aisle. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Republicans in supporting his nomination. Senator Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, played a particularly pivotal role. Her vote in committee allowed Waltz to advance to the Senate floor, and in return, Republicans agreed to release $75 million in previously authorized foreign aid, which Shaheen described as “lifesaving assistance.” She told reporters that Waltz “committed to the important role of the U.N., to his belief in participating there, to the challenges, the need for reform—which I think most of us would agree, there are reforms that we would like to see at the U.N.—and the importance of competing with China.”
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), known for his non-interventionist views, was the only Republican to vote against Waltz. Paul had clashed with Waltz during the confirmation process, criticizing his 2020 House vote to limit the president’s ability to remove troops from Afghanistan and questioning his handling of sensitive information. “Why is someone who endangered our troops by recklessly mishandling classified information being rewarded with a promotion?” Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) posted on social media, echoing the concerns of many Democrats who opposed the nomination.
Waltz’s confirmation comes at a critical moment for U.S. foreign policy. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine continue to rage, with little progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and the Israel Defense Forces launching a ground offensive into Gaza City during the week of the vote. President Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his unwillingness to cooperate in ending the war in Ukraine, while European allies have called for the U.S. to increase pressure on Moscow. Meanwhile, the U.S. faces the challenge of managing rising tensions with China and Iran, all while trying to maintain its influence at the U.N.
Waltz, who served in the House from 2019 to 2025 and built a reputation as a hawk on defense and national security, made clear during his confirmation hearing that he would push for significant reforms at the U.N. “The U.N. has ballooned to over 80 agencies with overlapping missions that waste resources and, if confirmed, I’ll push for transparency,” he said. Echoing President Trump’s signature rhetoric, Waltz declared, “I’m confident we can make the U.N. great again.” He also pledged to support cuts to U.S. contributions, a policy favored by the Trump administration, and to combat what he called the U.N.’s “pervasive antisemitism” against Israel.
Waltz’s stance on U.N. funding and reform reflects a broader skepticism within the Republican Party about multilateral organizations. Many Republicans argue that the U.S. shoulders an outsize financial burden at the U.N. and that the organization has drifted from its core mission of peacemaking. “We should have one place in the world where everyone can talk, where China, Russia, Europe, the developing world, can come together and resolve conflicts,” Waltz told the Senate, “But after 80 years, it’s drifted from its core mission.” He also emphasized the strategic importance of U.S. engagement at the U.N. to counter China’s growing influence, calling it “absolutely critical” for the U.S. to “be at the table.”
Waltz’s confirmation was not without precedent, but the process took notably longer than those of his predecessors. Nikki Haley, Trump’s first U.N. ambassador, was confirmed just four days after his 2017 inauguration. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s ambassador, was confirmed in February 2021. This time, the delay was attributed to both internal Republican calculations—such as the need to keep Stefanik in the House—and Democratic concerns over Waltz’s handling of sensitive information.
With his credentials ready to be received by the U.N., according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Waltz is expected to join President Trump, who is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday. His exact role at the Assembly remains somewhat ambiguous, as the Senate confirmed him as ambassador and Security Council representative but not explicitly as Assembly representative. Nonetheless, his presence will signal a return to full U.S. participation at a time when international cooperation—and confrontation—are both on the rise.
As Waltz steps into his new role, he faces a daunting agenda: restoring U.S. credibility at the U.N., advancing Trump’s calls for reform and fiscal restraint, and navigating a world stage fraught with conflict and rivalry. Whether he can deliver on his promises—or heal the divisions left by his tumultuous confirmation—remains to be seen. But for now, the United States once again has a permanent voice at the United Nations, just as the world’s attention turns to New York.
