President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he plans to appoint a new national security adviser within about six months, telling reporters that former adviser Mike Waltz did not resign but was appointed as an upgraded position as the administration's ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump spoke with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, where he was asked about several topics, including trade deals, Mexican cartels and positions in national security advisers.
A reporter asked the president about Waltz's withdrawal as national security adviser, who said he was elected for what was called a "higher position" or "upgrade".
Trump also said Waltz did not make any mistakes and that as the UN ambassador, he would do well.
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President Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. (pool)
"I didn't lose confidence in him," Trump said. "There's a reason he's going to the United Nations. For me, if I had my own promise, I think it's personal...I'd rather have that job than other jobs."
He also reiterated that Waltz did not resign, but Trump moved him.
"No resignation," the president said.
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Michael Waltz held a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Waltz and other NSA staff removed their offices Thursday in the most eye-catching executive office of the second Trump administration. Trump announced the name of Waltz as the UN ambassador unfolded just hours after the news began.
Trump told reporters Sunday that he plans to appoint someone in a national security adviser position within six months, saying there are many people who want the job, which is the interim national security adviser for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's current responsibilities.
In particular, President White House Vice President Stephen Miller was asked whether he was considered for the position.
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White House Vice President Stephen Miller spoke at a press conference at the White House in Washington on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
"Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole? I mean, I think he has this job indirectly ... because he has a lot to say about a lot of things," Trump said. "He's a very valuable person in the administration, Stephen Miller."
The president also asked if any trade deals will be announced this week and said there may be some deals.
But Trump backed off when he could say more about the deal.
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President Trump has announced an increase in tariffs on countries around the world. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
"No one understands it," he said. "We are negotiating with a lot of countries. But, at the end, I will set my own deal because I set my deal. They don't have an agreement. I set my deal."
Trump said he is meeting with nearly every country in a trade deal, including China.
Trump further explained the process, and he would set tariffs that a country could agree to.
"They don't have to deal with us, it doesn't matter, because we lost under Biden. We lost $5 billion a day," he said. "Think about it. $5 billion a day. Now, because of the tariffs, we're not dealing with China at all... so we're saving billions."
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President Trump said he proposed to send U.S. troops to Mexico to fight the cartel. (Reuters)
During the gag, a reporter also asked if he was indeed willing to send U.S. troops to Mexico to take care of the cartel.
"It's true, because they should be. They're the terrible people who kill people left and right," Trump said. "They've made a fortune in selling drugs and destroying others."
He explained that the cartel was responsible for importing fentanyl into the United States, and 300,000 people have died this year.
Trump calls cartel members "bad news."
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"If Mexico wants help in the cartel, we are honored to get in," Trump said. I told (Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum) that I am honored to get in.
The proposal was eventually rejected, and Trump said it was because Sheinbaum was afraid of the cartel and therefore feared that she “can’t even be straightforward.”