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Former Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that he would work to confront China’s influence and defend Israel if confirmed as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
In his opening remarks, Waltz, a former Green Beret, thanked his family and military colleagues before outlining his priorities at the global body. He criticized what he called the United Nations’ drift from its original mission and pledged to “make the U.N. great again” by returning to the principles outlined in its charter.
“We must return to the UN’s charter and first principles … and focus on peacekeeping, not nation-building,” Waltz said.
A central part of Waltz’s testimony focused on reining in what he described as special treatment for China.
“It’s absurd that the world’s second-largest economy is treated as a developing nation in most UN agencies that gives China favorable status,” he said.
Waltz said he would work closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to challenge China’s status and push back on policies that benefit Beijing. He emphasized that his military background and previous experience working with NGOs in the field would help him redirect resources more effectively and eliminate inefficiencies within U.N. operations.
He also addressed widespread American skepticism toward the United Nations. “Many Americans have become disillusioned with the UN,” he said. “It has drifted from its core mission.”
Waltz called out what he described as institutional antisemitism within the U.N., citing the disparity in resolutions passed by the General Assembly over the last decade: 154 against Israel versus 71 targeting all other nations combined.
“I’m confident under [President Trump’s] leadership, we can continue to spread peace and prosperity — and I’m confident we can Make the U.N. Great Again,” Waltz concluded.
President Trump nominated Waltz as United States Ambassador to the United Nations in a May announcement on Truth Social, praising him for his work in putting America’s interests first.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”