Who is Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser? Why is it good news for India?

Newly elected US President Donald Trump has announced another name for his Trump 2.0 administration: Mike Waltz. Florida Congressman Waltz will become Trump’s National Security Advisor (NSA), The Associated Press reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the development.

The announcement will have a huge impact across the world, except India, as External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said: “Many countries are nervous (after Trump’s victory), but India is not one of them.”

For those who don’t know, Waltz is the head of the Indian caucus and has advocated for advancing U.S. defense and security cooperation with India. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the US Congress in June 2023, Waltz cordially invited the Indian Prime Minister.

He was instrumental in coordinating the Indian Prime Minister’s speech on Capitol Hill during his 2023 visit.

He once called India the US’s “most important partnership”. Citing India’s ban on TikTok, Waltz called on the US to ban the Chinese app.

The Republican congressman is also a staunch supporter of improving security and defense ties with India to counter China. He is a member of the GOP China Task Force and has maintained that the US is not ready for conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

Mike Waltz, 50, is a hardcore Republican who also supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Waltz served in the United States Army and retired as a colonel as part of the Green Beret special forces unit. He repeated his claims about a “woke” military that is reportedly “soft” and remains “too focused” on diversity and other inclusivity programs. He is also an outspoken critic of the Joe Biden administration’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2021.

The three-term Republican representative was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 and was re-elected last week.

Waltz also serves on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

Look | Donald Trump Eyes Bypass of the Senate Confirmation Vote

In August 2023, he visited India on Independence Day and attended the event at Red Fort, Delhi. During the visit, he spoke to WION’s chief diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibbal on a range of issues ranging from ties with India, Pakistan and China to condemning the violence in Khalistan.

Waltz has criticized China’s alleged economic practices, such as intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices and exploitation of vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain.

He also advocated a US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, protesting China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in restive Xinjiang and China’s alleged role in starting the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With input from agencies)