Congressman Michael Waltz, who’ll soon become National Security Advisor under President-elect Donald Trump, said Thursday that recent attacks in major American cities necessitate the day one confirmations of multiple Trump cabinet appointments. Waltz himself is not included in this call to action, as the National Security Advisor does not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Waltz made his viewpoint known in an interview on Fox & Friends Thursday. “We need Governor Kristi Noem at DHS. We need Kash Patel at FBI. We need Pete Hegseth at the Department of Defense,” Waltz said. He also advocated the need for “Marco Rubio at State, and of course, John Ratcliffe at CIA and Tulsi Gabbard at DNI.” FloridaPolitics first reported Waltz’s remarks.
Republicans won a 53-seat majority in the Senate in the 2024 elections, giving most of Trump’s cabinet picks a solid chance of confirmation. The most embattled of the picks mentioned by Waltz is Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host who’s been accused of alcoholism and sexual misconduct.
Attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas
The attacks in question occurred in New Orleans and Las Vegas on Wednesday. First, authorities say an Army Veteran from Texas drove a pickup truck into a crowd of people who were celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street at around 3:15 am. Fifteen people were killed, and thirty more were injured as of the most recent estimates. The suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was killed in a shootout with police. Two officers were reportedly injured in the firefight but are said to be in stable condition.
The second incident occurred outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. A Tesla Cybertruck, rented in Colorado before being driven to Nevada, exploded with fuel canisters and fireworks inside. The driver was killed and seven others were reported injured. Investigators are still working to determine whether it was linked to the New Orleans incident. The driver was also reportedly an Army veteran. The suspect, according to local media, is Colorado Springs resident Matthew Livelsberger.
Tesla CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk has maintained that the explosion was not linked to the mechanics of the Cybertruck, and that his product’s design actually helped minimize the damage.
Michael Waltz’s Proposed Response
“I don’t think it is a coincidence that you had two attacks originating from the same site, both veterans,” Waltz continued in his Fox News interview. “You could have a more radicalized, and broader cell. Don’t forget you also had an Afghan that was stopped from making Election Day attacks.”
Waltz, a former U.S. Army Green Beret, advocated for investigations into how two Army veterans could’ve been radicalized into conducting suspected terrorist attacks. He speculated the involvement of ISIS or of Islamic extremists operating within the United States. Assertions of Jabbar’s connection to the Islamic State are supported by an ISIS flag which was reportedly found attached to his vehicle, plus reports that he posted ISIS-inspired rhetoric to social media before the attack.
Michael Waltz will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives until January 20th for Florida’s 6th congressional district, an area which covers all or parts of Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns, Putnam, Lake, and Marion counties. A special election is scheduled to appoint Waltz’s successor, who will serve at least until the 2026 election.
