Vance dismisses "Signalgate" in Waltz's UN ambassador shift
The Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, commented on the nomination of Mike Waltz as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. "I think you can make a good argument that it’s a promotion," Vance said. He also assured that relocating Waltz to a different position is not a result of "Signalgate."
What do you need to know?
- Mike Waltz has been nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN after serving four months as a national security advisor.
- "Signalgate" did not affect the decision to transfer him, according to Vice President J.D. Vance, who believes Waltz will perform better in his new role.
- Waltz created a group on Signal, in which the editor-in-chief of "The Atlantic" was mistakenly added, causing controversy over the sharing of sensitive information.
Why was Waltz transferred?
Vice President J.D. Vance emphasised in an interview with Fox News that Mike Waltz enjoys the trust of both him and President Donald Trump. Vance noted that Waltz was transferred to the position of ambassador to the UN because the administration believes he will be better suited to this role. Vance described this change as a "promotion."
Interestingly, only one person in the history of this position has served for a shorter period than Waltz.
What is "Signalgate"?
"Signalgate" is a controversy related to Waltz creating a group on the Signal app, where the editor-in-chief of "The Atlantic" was accidentally added. In this group, details regarding attacks on the Houthis in Yemen were discussed. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who also participated in this group, claims that the information shared was not classified, although some Democrats have expressed doubts.
Vance emphasised that "Signalgate" did not influence the decision to transfer Waltz. The Vice President believes that discussions in the Signal group were consistent with good national security team practices, and his own remarks regarding the attacks on the Houthis expressed a concern for the consistency of U.S. foreign policy.
