President-elect Donald Trump has selected Florida Congressman Mike Waltz to serve as his administration's national security adviser, a source familiar with the decision confirmed to Scripps news.
"Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!" Trump said in a statement.
Waltz, a Green Beret veteran and a retired Colonel in the National Guard, served in the U.S. armed forces for 27 years. He was elected to represent Florida's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, where he succeeded Florida's now-governor, Ron DeSantis.
Scripps News spoke with Rep. Waltz on election night about a week ago, where he put the risks of global conflict in an energy perspective, particularly regarding Ukraine.
"I think underlying all of it is going to be energy policy," Waltz said of potential policy changes during Trump's second term. "If we simply lift the [liquid natural gas] ban, and not do things like Biden did with canceling the Keystone XL pipeline."
"We've really got to put the foot on the gas when it comes to production of oil and gas around the world. You drive down the price around the world, which will dry up Putin's war machine, which will dry up Iran's war machine."
"Right now Vladimir Putin is selling more oil and gas through markets in India and China than he ever did before the war," Waltz said. "That is literally what is giving him the resources to continue the war in Ukraine."
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Iran, too, is "worried about President Trump coming back into office," Waltz said. "They see it as an existential threat."
"They clearly do not want a return to maximum pressure. As long, from a policy standpoint, as they are flush with cash, they are going to help Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis rebuild, despite Israeli successes," he said. "You're never going to ultimately be successful in returning the Middle East peace as long as Iran is selling oil like it is."
