Trump picks India Caucus head Mike Waltz as his NSA

New Delhi: In a major step that indicates the direction of US foreign policy under Donald Trump, the President elect has named Mike Waltz, India Caucus head, as his National Security Advisor, as reported by US media.

Trump made a historic come back last week defeating Democrat Kamala Harris.

Fifty-year-old Waltz is a retired Army National Guard officer and a war veteran, and he is a three-term Republican representative from east-central Florida.

India Caucus, which is a bipartisan group of Senate members, currently comprises 40 members. It was founded in 2004 by the then New York senator and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Senator John Cornyn.

Waltz is known as strong advocate of a US-India alliance and favours deepening ties with India, particularly in defence and security affairs. He was in the forefront of arranging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at Capitol Hill during his visit to the US in 2023.

He has been very vocal in his criticism of outgoing US President Joe Biden ‘s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

His nomination as NSA highlights  Trump’s vision as to how he was going to make US defence strong and the country more assertive in dealing with coutries like China and Russia. Waltz has been stressing the need for strong alliances with democratic nations like India in the interest of regional stability.

Waltz has been urging Europe tp do more for Ukraine and wants his country to come out with more solid support for the war-torn country.

Waltz has been openly showing his willingness to serve in the administration. Senate confirmation is not required for NSA appointment.

Waltz was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville. The NSA designate is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and served in the US Army and the National Guard. He served at a number of US deployments in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
—-INDIA NEWS STREAM