Some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump are disappointed with the selection of the president-elect's new national security team, even accusing them of being “neocons,” but the transition and the president-elect's Officials familiar with Washington's foreign policy record said these picks “can be leveraged to achieve America First.”
President Trump nominated Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Representative Michael Walz as National Security Adviser, and Representative Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations. The pick attracted attention because they are considered to have More “hawkish” beliefs. But national security officials told the Daily Caller that the selection is more aligned with the president's policies than many initially expected.
“If you look at what Trump is doing with his Cabinet nominees overall, he's building the MAGA movement far beyond the Republican base. That's why he's building the MAGA movement far beyond the Republican base. That's what ties us together. He's building a bigger tent, and that's the legacy,” said Morgan Murphy, former press secretary to the Secretary of Defense and national security adviser to Sen. Tommy Tuberville during the Trump administration. he told the caller.
Over the years, Mr. Rubio's more hawkish positions have morphed into ones increasingly aligned with the president-elect's “America First” policies. Mr. Rubio voted against a foreign aid package that included money for Ukraine earlier this year, but he is hawkish on China and Latin America. Mr. Walz is a Special Forces veteran who previously worked for Vice President Dick Cheney. expressed an aggressive attitude About Iran.
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth is the most unexpected of the president's national security nominees. Hegseth described himself as a “recovering neocon” in a previous interview on “The Sean Ryan Show.” podcast, He was once a major supporter of the Iraq war, but has since explained that he recognizes the error in his views.
The candidates, particularly Rubio and Walz, have come under attack from some in the president-elect's coalition.
“Yesterday was a bad day for those who support 'America First' in our foreign policy,” said former Republican congressman and presidential candidate. Ron Paul tweeted. “President Trump has reportedly appointed neoconservatives Elise Stefanik (Ambassador to the United Nations), Mike Walz (National Security Advisor), and…Marco Rubio (Secretary of State),” Trump said. Many who expected 2.0 to be different from Trump 1.0 are disappointed and feel betrayed.
Yesterday was a bad day for those who support “America First” in our foreign policy.
With President Trump reportedly appointing neocons Elise Stefanik (Ambassador to the United Nations), Mike Walz (National Security Adviser), and…Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many believe that Trump 2.0 … pic.twitter.com/TB1p3FoBob
— Ron Paul (@RonPaul) November 12, 2024
“The wrong people are happy about Waltz.” [sic],” tweeted New York Post journalist Miranda Devine.
Wrong people are celebrating Walz https://t.co/zUt4nMQtv4
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) November 13, 2024
on the other hand, something like john boltonThe former Trump national security adviser turned commentator praised the pick for taking “the right approach to China.”
But insiders who spoke to the Caller said the selection shows Trump understands what it will take to succeed this time.
“Trump now knows how Washington works and probably knows he needs neocons, who are more entrenched in D.C. than America First. There are a lot more of them. There are less than a dozen people who consistently run foreign policy that touts America First,” one former Trump national security official told the Caller.
“I think he's probably looking for someone who speaks their language and can help blend the two objectives,” the source added.
Officials say Rubio was likely chosen for his tough stance on China, which is important to the next president's agenda, and may have been a consolation prize for not being a vice presidential candidate. He explained that there is.
“I think the Secretary of State position was a consolation for Rubio because everyone was trying to do it.'' strategize what's important [the picks] And what kind of policy [Trump’s] Put it in place. But I “I think this selection was more political than policy,” a former official told the Caller.
A person familiar with the matter told the Caller that while political consultants and media outlets have speculated about what these picks would mean for President Trump's foreign policy, the sources said the president's picks ended up being two-fold. He believes it will become one thing.
“Hegseth, Rubio, Walz, Stefanik, what do they all have in common? They're all friends, they're all close to President Trump,” a former Republican Senate staffer who worked on national security issues told Caller. told the paper.
“They know the field of foreign policy and national security. The president knows that national security is the thing you can't go wrong with. Look at Biden,” the source added.
They added that ideology was probably not a major factor in selection.
“I don't think ideology really means that much, whether it's neoconservative or isolationist, Jacksonian or Hamiltonian. At the end of the day, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea are Trumps in some way.” It's going to test the president, and it's going to be up to President Trump and his national security team to decide how to respond to that test,” a former Republican Senate staffer told the Caller.
Regarding Rubio's priorities, Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Caller that he believes the Florida senator understands the threat that China and Iran pose to the United States. He said he believes Hegseth is. Selected as “Communicator.''
“He's going to have to lead some kind of effort in terms of messaging and communications and working with the president and Congress to deliver the kind of military that the United States needs in this century,” May said. told the Kohler newspaper. (Related: Poll finds majority of voters support Trump's transition)
“I understand why he doesn't want someone in charge who has been in government for years and says, 'Listen, this is all you can do.' Here's what you can do. I'm fighting the bureaucracy. “I'm not going to represent the bureaucracy.'' He doesn't want another type of Lloyd Austin,'' May added.
Sources have predicted a “peace through strength” approach to national security, which Stefanik has promoted since his selection as U.N. ambassador.
“Given the nominees, I think Trump is building on FAFO's foreign policy,” John Noonan, a senior national security adviser at Polaris, told the Caller. “We want peace. But if you engage with the United States, be prepared to find out.”
