Elegant, eloquent, and tough, Anton would bring a level of seriousness and resolve to the post—to say nothing of an innate understanding of what Trump wants and needs.
It was announced yesterday that former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had been removed from that post, as was his deputy, Alex Wong. Waltz will be reassigned to the United Nations, where he will serve as ambassador (pending Senate confirmation). The suddenness of Waltz’s ouster took many by surprise; only 40 minutes before the announcement was made that Waltz was out, the now former national security adviser was on television, effusively praising the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
Of course, as president, Trump can fire anyone who works for him. And, given the issues that the forty-seventh president campaigned on, Waltz was always a peculiar pick to run a “MAGA”-oriented national security council.
Why Was Mike Waltz Fired?
To be clear, Waltz was a patriot. A former U.S. Army Green Beret, he had much going for him. But his political background made him an odd fit within the MAGA camp; he had previously served as a military aide to former Vice President Dick Cheney, and by all accounts he shared Cheney’s neoconservative worldview—putting him starkly at odds with Trump’s less militant approach to foreign policy.
Don’t be mistaken as to the reason behind Waltz’s ouster. It basically came down to either Mike Waltz or Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Trump chose his secretary of defense—whose foreign policy views are by most accounts much closer to Trump’s own.
At its core, the ongoing personnel shuffle in Trump’s national security team is not about work histories, or even loyalty to Trump. It is an ideological battle between those who seek to bomb the Islamic Republic of Iran, and those who believe that such an outcome must be avoided. It was always clear where Waltz stood on this question; he was clearly an Iran hawk, and was in good company in some quarters of the administration.
Yet, there is a clear—and understandable—aversion to engaging in another Middle East war, especially as President Trump’s domestic agenda hangs in the balance. Even with all the military resources Trump is piling into the Middle East, and the bellicose language coming from Trump and his team about Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Trump is clearly not sold on the need to strike Iran. This explains in part why he is sending Steve Witkoff to determine if any deal can be made at the last minute with Tehran.
Who Will Be the Next White House National Security Adviser?
Almost immediately, a bevy of names were floated as possible successors to Waltz. The current Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will be serving as interim national security adviser until a permanent replacement can be found.
Other names floated for the position include: former NSC chief of staff Fred Fleitz; former U.S. Army general and Trump adviser Keith Kellogg; Robert O’Brien, Trump’s final national security adviser from his tumultuous first term; Michael Anton, who currently heads the State Department’s policy planning office; current Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby; media personality Sebastian Gorka; former U.S. Army colonel and high-level NSC staffer Derek Harvey; and Witkoff’s deputy Middle East envoy, Morgan Ortagus.
In picking Waltz’s successor, Trump would be best served by choosing someone who is both a loyalist and who aligns with his vision of general foreign policy restraint—all while not being a pushover when it comes to the Iranian regime. But Fleitz, Kellogg, O’Brien, Ortagus, and Gorka are all notable Iran hawks, meaning that if Trump chooses them, he is likely to sooner or later encounter the same problems he experienced with Waltz. Fleitz has previously been considered for this very role and was never given the nod. Kellogg served as former Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser—qualifying him for the job in one respect, and making him suspect in another. As for Robert O’Brien, there are many in Trump’s base who do not like him; he was previously considered during the transition to return to this role after Trump won the presidency last November, but the then-president-elect ultimately decided against him.
Meanwhile, Trump himself posted on Truth Social that he was skeptical about Ortagus, when he tapped her for the deputy special envoy to the Middle East slot. Some in the MAGA world referred to that bizarre post from the president as a “hostage tweet.”
Sebastian Gorka is the current head of counterterrorism at the White House national security council. A fixture on right-wing media and a noted firebrand, he is clearly loyal to Trump. And his brand of bombast and bellicosity mesh well with the president. But those very traits make him thoroughly disliked by the wider national security community—and his hawkishness in general means he will not be able to stop the push for a war.
Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby would be a great pick, but he was only recently confirmed in his new role. He is well placed at the Pentagon, and clearly focused on the China threat—as he should be.
Then there’s Derek Harvey, who will be starting his tenure on the NSC as the senior director for intelligence. Harvey has a long track record of service. Insiders report that, during Trump’s first term, he clashed with then-White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.
That’s because Harvey was known as Jared Kushner’s man. Indeed, the Abraham Accords and the “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran that defined Trump’s first term originated with Harvey. It is safe to associate him with the hawks. Of course, he is nowhere near as hawkish as was Waltz. But if Trump is serious about avoiding a major war, selecting Harvey for this role sends the wrong message.
The Case for Michael Anton as National Security Adviser
That leaves Michael Anton. As one of the intellectual godfathers of the “MAGA” movement, Anton is a perfect fit for the national security adviser role. He is not a hawk. At the same time, he is not at all friendly with the Islamist regime of Iran.
What’s more, Anton is a singular intellect among Trump’s inner circle. Plus, he served previously on the NSC during Trump’s first term. Elegant, eloquent, and tough, he would bring a level of seriousness and resolve—to say nothing of an innate understanding of what Trump wants and needs—to this role in ways that none of the others listed could.
A change is needed at Trump’s NSC. Getting rid of Waltz clears the way for a real shakeup in the administration’s foreign policy—but only if Trump picks the right sort of person. It remains to be seen if he can do that.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Joshua Sukoff.
