Michael Waltz, born on January 31, 1974, in Boynton Beach, Florida, is an American politician, businessman, author, and former U.S. Army Special Forces officer. He served as the National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump from January 20, 2025, succeeding Jake Sullivan.
Military Service
Waltz began his military career as an Armor officer before attending Ranger School and joining the Green Berets. He completed multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa, earning four Bronze Stars, two of which were for valor.
Government and Business Roles
In the Pentagon, Waltz served as a defense policy director under Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He also worked as the counterterrorism advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney. In 2010, he co-founded Metis Solutions, an analytics and training company, which was acquired in November 2020 for $92 million.
Political Career
Elected as the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 6th congressional district in 2018, Waltz succeeded Ron DeSantis. He was re-elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024, each time securing over 60% of the vote.
During his tenure, he chaired the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and was known for his hawkish stance on China, advocating for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to human rights concerns.
National Security Advisor
Following his appointment as National Security Advisor in January 2025, Waltz played a role in U.S. military actions, including strikes that targeted multiple Houthi leaders in Yemen.
For more insights into Mike Waltz’s perspectives, you might find this interview informative: