National security adviser Mike Waltz is out, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio replacing him on an interim basis.

President Trump announced Thursday afternoon that Waltz, a former House GOP lawmaker, would instead be his next nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“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,” Trump said in a Thursday post on Truth Social.

Alex Wong, Waltz’s deputy, is also expected to depart. Both have been targeted by far-right influencers in the MAGA movement, and Waltz was at the center of the Signal scandal that embarrassed the Trump administration in March.

Here are the leading candidates to replace Waltz in a permanent capacity.

Marco Rubio

The U.S.’s top diplomat could see his interim dual role extended to a permanently expanded portfolio.

Rubio will be the first to serve as both the secretary of State and national security adviser concurrently since the late Henry Kissinger.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, who learned of Rubio's new role during her press briefing Thursday, said he has “worn several hats” during Trump's second term and expressed confidence that he can carry the additional load.

Rubio has been involved in the administration’s push to forge a peace agreement that would end the Russia-Ukraine war, and he has been a central figure in attempts to deport foreign students involved in anti-Israel protests.

Steve Witkoff

Steve Witkoff is a leading candidate to replace Waltz, according to multiple outlets, having quickly accumulated a sprawling portfolio as Trump's favored international negotiator.

The Hill has reached out to Witkoff’s spokesperson for comment.

Witkoff, a billionaire real-estate investor, was tapped by Trump to be his special envoy to the Middle........

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